Phantom Rose
by GateMasterGreen
Summary: Dual semblances are rare, but not unheard of. Ruby Rose has two, although the second is proving to be a tad annoying. How will it affect her and her tenure at Beacon? Ladybug/Freezerburn. Slight OOC relating to the semblance, but will be trying to keep close to original. Pairings may expand.
1. Chapter 1

Yo Peeps, GateMasterGreen here with a new story. Gonna be taking a break from Snow White Roses, given my fascination with how the latest chapters have been unfolding. If you have been keeping up with that story, then this is gonna be a bit familiar. It's the expansion of that small idea at the end of chapter 15. For those just joining, WELCOME! While I've seen a few stories with the idea, including secondary and tertiary semblances isn't very common. That said, I'mma do it…

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY!**_

Standing in the airship, Ruby wasn't exactly sure of what to expect. To her left, her sister Yang was bouncing in excitement, while she herself was looking around nervously. She had already gotten a few weird looks her way, compliments of being a solid two years younger than the youngest applicants on board. One of many downsides to being accepted early. She felt a bit out of place anyways and was thankful she had comfort in the form of the blonde beside her. Although, she'd rather not be suffocated in her sister's cleavage like had already happened numerous times, whenever Yang had felt especially "proud" of Ruby.

Looking out over the city, however, did wonders to soothe her and remind her why she was there. So many people living out their lives, safe from the Grimm that inhabited so much of Remnant. She would become a Huntress so that she too could protect them. Just like her mom. Casting a glance at her cloak, the white fabric creased at her shoulders before fanning out behind her, she smiled. Hopefully, Summer would be proud of her.

The ride wasn't too long at least, though there was huge disturbance with a certain armored blonde had gotten extremely airsick, resulting in a few soiled pairs of shoes and many complaints from his peers. A brief intro had been given and before they knew it, the countless students who had chose to apply were now at Beacon Academy.

The tower that dominated the skyline was quite impressive, the expansive dormitories and academic buildings flanking it. Exiting the craft, the students rushed forward, grouping together with friends and striding off with bouts of laughter and shared stories. Ruby sighed when Yang swept away with her own pack of friends, leaving the dark haired girl on her own. Looking down, she clasped her hands behind her back and began walking.

She didn't get very far before running into another student. Literally. One moment, quiet walking, the next being clouded with indignant ranting from a fairly attractive girl with white hair. Her voice was a bit much, in Ruby's opinion.

"Would you watch where you're going? You could've blown us off the cliff!" The older teen shook a bottle of dust, pointing at the cases laying around them. "Do you know what this is?"

Ruby smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I think most people do. It's dust." Reaching down, she picked up a glass jar, intending to hand it over to the heiress. As she was about, a chill went down her spine and the container fell out of her hand. Well, not "out of" her hand.

"Through" was more accurate a term.

A small bang went off as the glass broke against the ground, sending up a cloud of smoke and causing both girls to start coughing. The white haired girl managed to reign in her breathing and started to berate the girl. "You dolt! That could've killed us. What were you thinking?"

Ruby didn't take all too well to being called a dolt, however, and cut back, "That my semblance may give me a break for one day!" She held up her hand, showing the extremity flickering in and out of sight. "It's not easy to control it, Princess!"

"It's Heiress, actually," came a new voice. Both sets of eyes focused on a girl clad in black and white, amber eyes glowing brightly. "Weiss Schnee, Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, the largest supplier of dust in Remnant."

Weiss smirked. "Finally, some recognition."

"Just as much a superiority complex as most would attribute your father," the new girl finished. "As it stands, only Winter Schnee has been considered polite to commonfolk."

Ruby giggled at the gawking face of the heiress. "Pull 'em in and cut them down, why don't you…?" She let her question hang as addressed the raven haired girl.

A small smile alighted her face. "Blake."

Bowing a bit childishly, Ruby grinned. "My name is Ruby Rose. Might I have the chance to escort milady Blake to the orientation speech?"

Amber eyes rolled lightly, but her smile persisted, giving away her amusement. "Why not?" She started walking, Ruby straightening up and falling into step beside her. Weiss watched them depart, not sure of what had just happened. "Wha…?"

 **XXXGMGXXX**

After conversing with Blake on the way to the auditorium, Ruby had learned a significant more about the mysterious and soft spoken teen. Her last name was Belladonna, she liked fish, and SHE LIKED BOOKS! As it turned out, Blake understood her frustration with her semblance, having experienced some issues with her "shadow clones" and the trouble it had caused .

"It's just the one semblance that I can't control," Ruby explained. "My semblance for speed is under control and it was easy to learn how to control it."

Blake shrugged. "That's how it is for some, Ruby. While most don't have two semblances, the one they do have can be easier to learn than one that another has."

Sighing, Ruby nodded. "I know. It's still annoying. Thanks for helping me out, back there, by the way."

"No problem."

Both fell silent as they entered the archway leading to the mass of students, the quiet of the walk giving way to the boisterous speaking of hundreds of teenagers. Blake grimaced at the volume, but really, what did she expect?

"Hey, Sis!" Came a loud shout from near the two. Yang walked over, waving and smiling brightly. "Made a friend already?"

"Yang, this is Blake," Ruby started, introducing the girl at her side. Turning to Blake, she continued. "Blake, this is my big sister, Yang. Do not take her seriously and you won't be disappointed."

Stifling a laugh at the statement, Blake greeted Yang. "It's nice to meet you, Yang."

"You too, Blake." Yang ruffled Ruby's hair and pulled her into a quick hug. "How you holding up, Rubes?"

Ruby wheezed, trying to extricate herself from the blonde's grasp. "I was doing fine until you tried to crush me to death. A small incident with my semblance, but that's it. Made some crabby girl mad, she was yelling at me until Blake stepped in."

"I am NOT crabby," came the indignant retort, Weiss appearing behind Ruby, scowling. "You nearly blew us up. I think I have a right to be mad."

Blake's voice cut in, "Yes, but you didn't have treat her like she was stupid. It was a slip up with her semblance, not something you can really blame her for."

Ice blue eyes blinked at the abrupt statement, a short exhalation of breath following. "I suppose you are right." Weiss pursed her lips and looked at Ruby. "I'm sorry for acting as I have, if you'll forgive me."

Ruby smiled genuinely. "Only if you accept me saying sorry too! We both messed up." Reaching inside her cloak, she pulled out a small bag of cookies. Taking one out, she offered it to Weiss. "Deal?"

Gingerly taking hold of the cookie, the heiress nodded. "Deal."

Yang looped an arm around the arms of both, smiling. "My sister making up with someone! I'm so proud!"

Weiss growled. "Hands off me, you brute."

The brawler stepped back, her smile turning mischievous. "What's wrong? Am I too much for little old you?" She took one of Weiss' hands and kissed the back of it. "I can always try to fix that for you."

Snatching back her hand, Weiss looked affronted. "How dare you?!" She slapped Yang before turning and storming off, though her cheeks were visibly red.

Meanwhile, Yang was rubbing her cheek and laughing. "She's feisty."

Ruby sighed. When would Yang ever act like a normal person?

 **End…**

That's it for chapter one. Ruby's a little out of character and it went a bit differently. The changes in character for her is to be attributed to her issues with her second semblance. It will be explained more later on. Also, making Yang more noticeably attracted to females and Weiss in particular, because why not. It's the stereotype for Ladybug stories anyways. Have ladybug? Must have freezerburn too. Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter. Adieu for now!


	2. Chapter 2

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 2 of Phantom Rose. I haven't much to say in terms of news. It's just a shit ton of snow. Had to shovel a driveway filled with a two foot blanket of the cold flurry stuff. My hands hurt for a bit… no longer. Tonight WE TYPE IN HELL!

Eh, just a small joke. Let's get going!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**_

After a speech from Ozpin, Glynda led the students on a tour of the academy's campus. After being showed around, they were served dinner. It was rather uneventful, students either nervous or hyped for the following day. Not much was said and the room was unbelievably silent. Even the talkative Yang was picking at her food and pondering what the test would be.

After their meal, the students were lead into a wide and open room, rows of bedrolls lay across the ground, evenly spaced. Meticulously so. Student's bags were placed against one of the walls, name tags upon each. Ruby fetched her own and settled beside Yang. It wasn't quite time to sleep yet, so the two hadn't switched into their pajamas, instead opting to play a few games.

A few rounds of play later and Ruby's mind blanked. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced around at the other applicants. She noticed a familiar mane of ebony and smiled when she saw the bow that sat atop the young woman's head. Excusing herself from her sister's presence, she walked over to Blake, greeting the ravenette with a smile. "Hey, Blake! How are you?"

"Hello, Ruby," the teen said softly. "I'm doing well. And you?" She placed a bookmark in the novel she held and set it aside. "I figured Yang would have kept you occupied."

Fidgeting with the hood of her cloak, Ruby shrugged, a bit awkward. "Yeah, but she's my sister. It can get a bit much in her presence. I don't think I can take another pun." She grimaced slightly before plopping down beside the older girl. Gesturing to the small fabric, Ruby spoke, cheeks slightly pink. "I like your bow."

Blake bowed her head, a little surprised to hear someone mention the bow she wore nigh constantly. "Thank you. I would say the same about your cloak. It's very fitting, despite it being so different from your other clothes."

Ruby looked sheepish at that. "It was my mom's, actually. Dad wanted to give me a red one to fit me better, but I wanted to keep a piece of Mom with me." She smiled sadly. "It still feels like she's with me." Blake didn't reply. What could she say? She wasn't about to spout some idealistic nonsense. It wasn't her style. Ruby picked up on her silence and sighed. "So, what ya reading?"

"It's a book about a man with two souls. Each fighting for control of his body." Blake handed the book to Ruby, letting the caped girl to skim over the summary.

"Yang used to read me books all the time. Bed time stories of heroes and heroines saving the day." She looked at the book, gaze spacing out. "I always wanted to be like them. Swoop in and save the day, ya know?"

Amber eyes narrowed slightly. "The real world isn't like a fairy tale. There can't always be a happy ending."

Ruby nodded. "Yup. But that's why we're here. To give other people a chance for theirs."

"That's awfully ambitious for a child," Blake stated plainly. "Solving the problems of every one person is impossible."

Ruby stood, stretching, before glancing at Blake. "You can continue being a sourpuss, Blake, but I'm gonna get ready for bed." She sidled off, mumbling to herself. "Still have those letters to write."

A frown pressed across Blake's lip, the older girl unhappy. She hadn't meant to upset Ruby, but the world she knew hardly had any idealistic endings. Adam was proof enough. Sighing to herself, she got up and headed off to change as well. Making sure her bow was in place, she padded off to the women's locker room.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Blake looked out at the expanse of the forest, her mood disheartened. Turning to look at the line-up of students, she caught sight of Ruby chatting away with her sister, smiling brightly. Was the bright teen still upset with her? It was hard to tell and Blake feared the answer to her own question. She may have been overthinking it, but a possibility of losing a friend so soon was hardly reassuring.

Ozpin told the students their objective and explained the process of assigning teammates. She snorted when she heard the condition. Making eye contact of all things, because that was SOOOO much proof of two students being able to get along.

Dropping into a crouch, she felt the platform buck upwards and pushed off, soaring higher than all but one student. A certain blonde couldn't be beat, using her gauntlets to blast herself higher and further than the other entrants.

"Birdie no!" came a cry not too far off. Blake saw Ruby drop into the forest, a black and red blur zipping down. Unsheathing Gambol Shroud in a swift pull, she converted it to its kusarigama form and flung it in the general direction of Ruby's landing zone, jerking herself downwards after the girl.

A little too well.

Her velocity sent her zipping a tight and fast circle around the branch she had anchored Gambol Shroud too and sent her flying… right into Ruby's backside. So much for cats always landing on their feet. Both girls tumbled across the ground before they skidded to a stop. Ruby jumped up and started spitting out dirt, wiping at her tongue frantically, while Blake shook her head, dizzy from the collision.

Amber eyes refocusing, she looked up at Ruby as the girl finally got the dirt out of her mouth, grimacing. Standing shakily, she wobbled over to her own weapon, tugging it from the branch and replacing it on her back. "Sorry. I know I upset you last night, but now this." Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do I keep messing up? This isn't like me."

Ruby threw her hands up, laughing. "I'm not mad at you, Blake. Sure, it sucks getting steam rolled from behind, but you don't need to get so sad." She beamed at the darker haired girl. "You look better when you smile."

Blake's cheeks burned slightly, but she returned the smile. "So, you aren't upset?"

Ruby pulled Crescent Rose out, resting it in her arms as she looked around. "Nah. Now, since we're partners, we better get a move on. Yang would tease me forever if I fail this."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Weiss had landed softly on the ground with her semblance's help. Dusting off her combat skirt, she strode purposefully through the brush, steering clear of any stray branches. She was doing well at avoiding the many leaves and branches, until she walked into a spider web. As is base human instinct, she started panicking, try to remove the unsettling strands from her face, not paying attention.

She tripped over a rock, letting out a short scream as she fell, only to be caught by two firm hands, her face landing on something soft. Letting out a relived breath, she reached up and removed the strands from her face, only to hear a soft chuckling.

"I know my chest was impressive, but I didn't think they were such a great pillow, Weissy."

Jerking back in surprise, Weiss's eyes shot up to lock onto lilac purple ones. "Don't flatter yourself, Yang. I just had walked through a spider web and you happened to break my fall." She took a quick breath. "Thank you for that, by the way."

Yang grinned and waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Always willing to offer a helping hand to a damsel in distress." She grinned salaciously and added, "Perhaps the princess would award me a kiss for my noble efforts."

Weiss fumed and slapped Yang… again. "Not a way in Remnant am I ever going to kiss a brute such as yourself!"

"You wound me," the blonde feinged hurt, falling to her knees. She would've kept the act up, but a low growl was heard, snapping both on high alert and causing them to leave the discussion for later.

The Grimm were here.

 **End of chapter 2…**

It reminds me of the hunt!

So, chapter two is out of the way. Hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next chapter. Adieu for now!


	3. Chapter 3

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 3. This story is doing relatively well, which means my summary is apparently a decent one… That said, I'm getting so excited. Why? Well, Bayonetta and Corrin are coming to Smash in the next few weeks and the corresponding challenge with my friends is too. Ridiculous combos, long drawn out battles, and much more. Without further drivel, I shall continue!

 _ **Diclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**_

Pumping her arms, Yang deployed Ember Celica, the gauntlets covering up her fore arms as she stared down the Grimm. Behind her, Weiss settled into a rigid stance, making small adjustments and readying her rapier. The dust chamber spun until it clicked into place and a red glow lit up the blade. Yang heard it and looked at the other girl. "Back to back?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, it would mess with my form. You need to keep distance from me, so I have full movement. Think you could keep them from overwhelming me?"

The brawler nodded. "No problem." Taking a few paces forward, she watched the Grimm emerge from the shadows, a fairly large number of beowulves. Before they could get a chance to surround the girls, Yang started her assault, punching a few rounds into the condensed pack. Weiss would've chastised her, but she could see the logic behind it. If they weren't able to surround the two, they'd be more free to fight on their terms.

Drawing up her aura, she launched a stream of fire into the wolves trying to flank Yang, setting the dark creatures on fire, their howls ripping into the air. Meanwhile, the blonde was batting aside blows and blasting back the front most Grimm. A few coordinated attack had her retreating slightly, falling back to Weiss's position. A sharp ringing sounded, glyphs appearing in the air before rocketing at the Grimm, punching holes through some and grazing others.

Looking around, Yang kept her eyes open for any new attackers, relieved to find none. She turned her gaze back to the fight, to see it had all but ended, Weiss having decimated the remainder of the pack. Myrtenaster was returned to its place on the heiress' hip, the prim teen dusting off her clothes, knocking away the residue from her weapon's expenditure.

"Well," Yang said. "That was a thing."

Weiss sighed. "Let's hope those were the only ones around. We need to get the relic and I don't intend to take all day to find it."

Laughing, Yang beamed. "No worries on that front. I saw them a little further ahead. The clearing was hard to miss as I was flying along. The odd stone things looked a bit out of place, so that's why I was even heading this way."

"What are we waiting for, you brute?" Weiss asked exasperatedly. "Lead on!"

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Ruby shifted Crescent Rose back to its compact form, stowing it away. Her arms were a bit tired from her own encounter with the creatures of Grimm. Blake dropped down from one of the branches in the canopy above, flinging her blade, letting the blood splatter on the ground. The two girls shared a look before Ruby grinned. "Onward!"

Rolling her eyes playfully, Blake followed after the girl. The two pressed on into the forest, keeping their eyes peeled for any more Grimm. Their fight had gone smoothly. Neither girl was really sociable, so they relied more on silent communication. Ruby played the distraction; a deadly one, capable of protecting herself, while Blake picked off the Grimm that surrounded the younger teen. It was very effective for them and saw them through to victory.

Ahead of them, the forest floor brightened considerably, as they stepped out of the woods. A distinct rustling could be heard off to the side, causing the partners to tense up. They relaxed when Yang pushed through, Weiss closed behind. Ruby dashed over, greeting her sister. "Yang!"

The blonde swept the girl up in her arms, grinning. "Ruby! How've you been holding up, Sis?"

"We, Blake and I, are doing well. She's so sneaky, Yang. Like a ninja. Blake swooped down, killed the Grimm, and faded away like a shadow. It was so cool!"

Yang looked over to Blake, who blushed at the praise. Flashing her a thumbs up, she released Ruby. "That's all well and good. Weiss and little ol' me had some fun of our own. It was pretty sweet."

Weiss exhaled lightly, pulling a twig from her hair. She glared jealously at Yang's untamed hair, not an offending stick or leaf in sight. "It was just a pack of Grimm, brute. Hardly noteworthy." Looking around, she noticed the stone pillars Yang had mentioned earlier. "I think we found the relics, Yang."

Following Weiss' gaze, the other three saw that indeed they had found the relics. Small stone pillar were placed in a circle, chess pieces set atop each one, though a bit largely scaled. The four walked towards the relics, Yang grabbing one of the white knight pieces, showing it to Weiss with childish jaunt in her step as she stepped over to the heiress and handed it to her. "A cute little pony!"

Ruby also grabbed a white knight, though not with the little act her sister had opted for. "You okay with this one, Blake?" She asked, waving the piece slightly.

Blake nodded. "That works for me. I doubt what piece we choose makes a huge difference in our grade. We better get back to the cliff."

The sound of explosions sounded out, causing the girls to whirl around to face the tree line. A loud whoop was heard, followed by another bang, an Ursa tumbling out of the woods, falling face first into the ground, showing a duo riding upon its spiked back. An excitable redhead zipped past them, while the subdued one was taking breaths to steady himself.

"I'm Queen of the Castle," came the singing tones of the girl behind them, a white rook in hand as she danced. She danced with it, repeating the line before her partner yelled.

"NORA!"

Nora had the decency to look sheepish. "Coming, Ren!" She bounded over to her partner, laughing as she went.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake wondered aloud.

No one got answer as a girlish scream went up. The sound of trees falling pulled the six teens' attention towards another break in the trees, Weiss recognizing the face of Pyrrha Nikos, as the girl and a blonde teen ran out of the trees, a Deathstalker hot on their heels. IF that weren't bad enough, a loud screech sounded from above, a Nevermore circling above.

"We need to help them," Yang stated, catching Weiss' attention. "Think you can freeze that thing in place for a bit?"

Weiss nodded an affirmative. Using a glyph, she shot forward, past the running partners, skidding to a slight stop before the giant Grimm. It pulled its tail up, stabbing at the girl, Weiss slipping aside the strike, and stabbing Myrtenaster down, coating the barb in ice and effectively pinning it to the ground, granting Pyrrha a reprieve, her partner grabbing the other white rook piece.

The eight students grouped up, catching their breaths (in Pyrrha and her partner's case). Introductions were brief, the blonde now named Jaune Arc. "Guys, those Grimm don't look too happy."

Ruby nodded. "We don't need to fight them," she pointed out. "All we had to do was get the relics and get back to the cliff."

"Run and live," quipped Arc. "That's a plan I can get behind. Let's go!"

A loud crack was heard, the Deathstalker freeing itself.

So it began.

 **End of chapter 3…**

Next chapter will be reverting back to just "End…"

The thing is, I don't want y'all thinking the story is over. I'll usually bring up if the story is over, by announcing it's the last chapter or whatnot. So, this is far from over, though that was probably apparent. Feel free to check out my other stories.

Big thanks to reviewer **Boarador** for showing that somebody still appreciates BCB. I need to get a handle on rewriting that, but I have so many things I want to do…

Review if you want to. Feel free to check out my other stories, as they may appeal better than this one, or less (who knows). Adieu for now!


	4. Chapter 4

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 4 of Phantom Rose. Over 110 of you all received a PM from me, due to the site being a bit mean and not sending out the normal email alert. I found an old CD I used to listen to it, still was able to sing about 90% of what was on there. Not every good singing, mind you, but I did know the words.

 **DankoThunder** , thanks for pointing out the very big error. I have rectified it, as promised, so Nevermore is the word on the chapter. Also, your username makes me think of Denko Sekka.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

The eight applicants were booking it, an angry Deathstalker on their heels. The giant scorpion surprisingly fast, given its extensive armor. A big issue for the teens were the slopes on either side. They weren't able to move freely and split apart effectively, being bottlenecked with ruins on either side. Ahead was the only option, a large formation, built upon the cliff and wrought with stone.

From above, the Nevermore flapped its massive wings, the thundering burst of air bringing with it numerous feathers **(1)** , all aimed at Ruby and her friends. Out of necessity, the group split apart loosely, dodging the feathers as they impaled the ground. Ruby ducked under one, jumping over another that blocked her path and narrowly evading a few more. A feather landed before her, blocking her way and bringing the caped girl to a stop.

A large crow from the Nevermore caught her attention. Looking up, she saw it bring its wings forward again, another volley of flying death being launched at her. Ruby's eyes went wide and she darted around the feather, trying to use her semblance to outrun the feathers. One lodged into her cloak, causing her to shriek as she was jerked to a stop. She tugged fruitlessly at the white fabric, trying to free it, but it wouldn't come loose.

The scraping of bone plates sliding over one another brought her gaze up from her cloak. Luminous red eyes stared at her blankly, a large stinger bearing down at her. As it approached, she heard someone screaming her name.

In a jerk of motion, the stinger pierced Ruby, digging into the ground behind her.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

" _Thus kindly I scatter… Ruby, worry not, for I am always watching over you."_

Ruby expected being impaled to be at least somewhat painful. Looking down, it clicked. Her appearance was flickering, from her hands to the cloak on her back. In a small corner of mind, she understood a bit more of her secondary semblance. Cautiously, she took a step to the side, removing herself from the creature's tail, her cloak also phasing through the feather that had it pinned.

The edges of her cloak flared out as a breeze ruffled them. Around her, her usual red rose petals were now swirling, except they were now stark white. Reaching behind her, she freed Crescent Rose from its holster, the weapon shifting to its scythe form. Ruby felt her semblance settling and aimed her scythe, firing herself away from the Deathstalker with her weapon's recoil, mixed with her primary semblance.

Ahead she saw the other seven already at the bridge of the ruins, heading off the Nevermore. Propelling herself with another handful of shots from her sniper scythe. The first ones she reached were Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. She blurred by them in a storm of petal, only two goals in her mind: find Yang, find Blake. Looking up, she saw the aforementioned two, plus Weiss, taking shots at the large raven like Grimm. Yang's eyes were rimmed with tears, her irises a blazing red.

Ruby boosted herself up the stonework, falling in line with the other three, causing them to look at her in surprise. A goofy smile reached Ruby's lips. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Something wrong?"

Yang pulled her into a tight hug, laughing. "I'm so glad you're ok! I thought Dad would break down, if I had to tell him that we lost you too." She pulled back and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Not to mention how I would've felt."

"While I hate to interrupt your family moment, we still have a major issue," Weiss stated, gesturing towards the behemoth of a Grimm that flew above.

The caped girl nodded. "She's right." Looking around at the area around them, her eyes brightened as a thought came to mind. "I have a plan.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Yang leaped off the stone pillar as the Nevermore swooped in for another pass at the quartet. Landing in its open beak, she used her impressive strength to keep the creature's maw, peppering its throat with explosive shells from her Ember Celica. When her clip ran dry, she freed herself, the injured Grimm barreling into the cliff face, roaring as it stood upon an old piece of stonework.

As the blonde retreated, Weiss zipped forward, leaping up and pressing forward with a glyph that sent her right at the Nevermore. She landed near its tail as it tried to fly away, using her rapier to coat the tail feathers in ice and freeze them to the ruins before leaping back as well.

Yang had gotten atop one of the pillars, Blake calling for her from the pillar across from the blonde. Gambol Shroud shot across the open space between them, Yang catching it and sliding down the pillar, looping it around and securing it with her weight. Blake's arm felt the force Yang was applying. Reinforcing her arm with conscious application of her aura, she felt the pain recede from her arm.

Below, Ruby shot herself towards the ribbon. Turning in the air, she positioned herself, landing with pinpoint accuracy and dragging the ribbon down and back away from the pillars. She heard the ringing sound of Weiss' glyph behind her, the runic circle holding her in place. Weiss turned her outstretched hand, the glyph shifting to black before she let loose, sending Ruby blasting upwards at the Nevermore.

The blade of Crescent Rose hooked the creature around the neck as it pulled itself free. Ruby's momentum, dragged herself and the Grimm into the cliff face, though she was able to dig her boots into the rocky surface. A sharp ringing started, a line of white glyphs lighting up on the cliff above.

Ruby jerked upwards, instinctively running into the glyphs and firing her sniper as she went, effectively dragging the Nevermore up the cliff with her. The cliff's edge was pushing out above her, making it all the easier for her. Jumping right as the two reached the top, Ruby felt her arms jerk as the Grimm's body caught on the lip of the cliff. For a second, she thought the plan wouldn't work, but a sick slicing sound signaled that Crescent Rose had pulled through, separating the Nevermore's head from its body, the caped teen landing on the cliff, scythe positioned behind her.

Sighing in relief, she turned back to look at the others. Yang, Weiss, and Blake waved at her, while the other four were staring in awe. The Deathstalker, Ruby noted, was nowhere to be seen. Collapsing to her knees, she laughed. They had done it!

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"Team RWBY, led by… Ruby Rose!" Ozpin said, the audience clapping as the girls stepped off the stage, now officially a team.

Heading back to the room they had slept in on the first night, they gathered up their things and made their way to the dormitories. Weiss led the way, having gone over the various pamphlets and maps offered to interested peoples whom might join the academy in the future. Scaling a few staircases, they reached their room, unlocking it with the assigned Scrolls that each girl had received from Glynda.

Dumping their stuff in one place or another, each fished out a set of pajamas, changing quickly. Weiss had elected to change in the room's single bathroom, grumbling about a certain 'Brute' and her perverted nature. Yang had a good laugh at that, blowing a kiss at Weiss, who ignored it and slammed the door closed behind her.

Blake sat on her bed chosen bed, pulling out her novel from the night before and reading it. Meanwhile, Ruby and Yang were talking. It took a short while, but Ruby had ensured Yang that she would be more careful in the future, but refused to give up her mother's cloak, something the blonde understood, leaving it at that.

Issues resolved, they lay back on their own beds, Yang out within mere moments. Ruby pulled out some paper and started writing, intent on finishing the letters for her friends at Signal.

This was the site Weiss emerged to see. The heiress smiled very faintly before claiming the last bed, settling under the duvet. Blue eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep with nary an issue.

 **End…**

 **(1) Fatal Feathers!**

Well, that would indeed be a thing. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to writing the next one. As far as it stands, the story will be proceeding like the normal storyline, though with alterations for both her semblance and the pairings I will be introduced. For the readers of Snow White Roses, the true pairing for Ruby won't be BlakeWinterRuby, unless something changes. Sorry 'bout that!

Adieu for now!


	5. Chapter 5

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 5 of PR. It's been a bit since the last chapter, but hey, things came up. Bayonetta added to smash 4, so I was practicing with her. So, while I don't normally recommend this…

Listen to Morning Mood, a classical piece, before reading this chapter. It'll sound familiar for most of y'all.

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…_**

Sunlight played through the window, casting a light glow about the dorm room. Its light warm and inviting. The four girls lay in their beds, resting easily. The only two sisters in the room making considerably more noise than either of their partners. Blake was snuggled comfortably under her covers, unconsciously basking in the warmth the duvet offered, a smile on her sleeping face. Her comfortable sleep was interrupted by a loud thump. Jolting awake, her eyes flew open before squinting at the bright light.

What could've possibly had made that noise. Looking to either side, she saw Weiss and Yang were still asleep, but Ruby was nowhere to be found. Concerned, she shed her warm blanket, placing her feet on the soft carpet and standing. A familiar weight assailed her body, as she tried to brush off her sluggishness. Hobbling over to Yang's bed, the Faunus poked the blonde in the side, causing the brawler to jerk. "Wake up, Yang," she hissed.

Yang groaned, rolling onto her side. In an amusing display, her hand fumbled around, before finding purchase in the mattress and allowing the woman to push herself up slightly, hair falling around her face. Bringing up her free hand, she pushed her locks aside and her lilac eyes stared at Blake, tired. "What's up?"

"Do you know where Ruby might be?" The Faunus asked. "She's not in bed and I heard a loud thump. Do you think she got breakfast?"

Yang chuckled. "So it's happened again." At Blake's confused look, she grinned. "Look under her bed."

"Why?"

Shooing her, Yang pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Trust me. Look under her bed."

Blake nodded, a bit unsure still, but complied. Walking over, she kneeled by the bed, and bent over, her amber eyes immediately making out the slumbering form of her new leader. Ruby was snoring lightly, face smooshed against the carpet, drooling lightly. The sight elicited a giggle from Blake, the cuteness of it all getting to the faunus.

Reaching out, she shook the girl's arm. Ruby stirred, silver eyes blinking open. Looking around, she sighed. "Not again…" Grumbling to herself, she pushed Blake back lightly, crawling out from under the bed. "Stupid semblance."

"Morning, Sis!" greeted Yang, waving. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

Glaring at Yang, Ruby spoke, "That stopped being funny after the third time."

Both quieted down when Weiss started stirring. A mischievous smile lit up Yang's face as she dug around her suitcase, tossing something to Ruby. "You know what to do!" All Blake had caught was a metallic glint before Ruby's nimble hands snatched the item from the air.

Ruby gestured for Blake to back up to where Yang was. Blake and Yang watched as Ruby lifted the item, a whistle, to her lips, leaning close to the waking Heiress. As soon as the ice blue eyes opened, a shrill ringing sounded, causing Weiss to jump in fright, smacking Ruby out of instinct. The young leader squawked in pain before laughing, Weiss having jumped her and giving her a thorough scolding.

A light chuckle rumbled in Blake's chest, a smile pulling her lips wide. She watched as Yang extricated the heiress from her sister and calmed Weiss down enough to explain that it had been a joke, a harmless prank to rile her up. Blake was keenly aware of Yang's choice to not state her part in said joke.

Weiss, although not in a rage anymore, was still rather incensed. "What could you possibly want that could cause you to blow a whistle right next to my ear?" She looked pointedly at Ruby, when she asked this.

"Class starts in a little bit," Ruby explained. "And we need to get situated. We didn't do much to settle in last night. We still need to unpack." Behind her, Yang and Blake held up their luggage, the latter's spilling out onto the floor.

"And clean," Blake added sheepishly. Gathering her things up, she closed her suitcase and set it on one of the beds. "We should get started."

The four set about get everything put up. Posters and paintings went up, books were stowed away, curtains were altered… Well, Ruby hadn't meant to cut them, but the patch work repair did give it a bit of character. As they emptied the last of their belongings, they ran into a problem. In the center of the room, were the beds, pushed together, with one leaning atop another.

"We might need to lose some stuff," Weiss suggested.

Ruby's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. "Or we could lose the beds and replace them with BUNK BEDS!"

The Faunus had to concede that she had a point. "It does seem efficient."

"And extremely awesome!" Yang added.

Pinching her brow, Weiss sighed. "I guess that settles it."

With a bit of creativity and engineering, two bunkbeds emerged from four single beds. Using books for support, Ruby's bed stacked atop Blake's, a few jostles to check for security and the two nodded contentedly. Meanwhile, Yang had pulled some parts she kept to maintain her Bumblebee, the motorcycle that lay in wait for whenever she felt the need to get out. Pulling out a few spare scraps of metal, she used a combination of her semblance and fire dust to soften the metal, so she could roll it into shape. Make shift nails in hand, she pulled out a hammer and dug the nails into the frame of the first bed, before lifting it over the second and hammering the frame down, so that the beds were nailed together.

Weiss let out an impressed sound, stunned by the quick and stable plan that the blonde had used. She half expected the blonde to hang the bed off the ceiling with rope. Their beds done, they checked the times, classes starting soon. Materials in hand, they all departed for their first class of the year.

 **End…**

With that, I'd like to apologize for the late update. Aside from the smash comment, other things came up. Like… losing the flash drive with this chapter. Found it, luckily, so I finished the chapter and posted it ASAP. See y'all round! Adieu!


	6. Chapter 6

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 6 of Phantom Rose. Had some interesting reviews, so I'll bring up one. **knight7572** brought up the fact that people would wonder how Ruby's semblance works and how she got it. Secondary one, that is. This will be handled in due time, so don't worry. I have been holding out on it ON PURPOSE. I really have. Unlike a few of the things I forgot for BCB2, this was preplanned. That said, let's get to it.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Classes that day had been a bit different then what the girls had expected. Professor Port, for example, had an issue with being a bit too self-important. He regaled the class with stories of his childhood, sharing tales of Grimm slayed and towns saved. Even with his robust manner of speech, the fact of the matter remained; Professor Port was incredibly boring. He also didn't care about pitting his students against a Grimm he had kept caged, Weiss having been the volunteer who had killed it.

Ruby had offered the heiress some advice before the impromptu encounter, of which Weiss had been grateful for. She had even thanked the girl after the fight, seemingly over the scenario from the morning. The other classes had gone by smoothly, thankfully. Now, the four found themselves in the cafeteria for dinner and what a sight it was.

It was a bit unsettling for the caped leader of RWBY, being around that many people. Sure, the city was populous, but not all condensed into the space of one room. The large room was loud too. Yang was the only one of the four that didn't seem fazed by it. Blake looked uncomfortable to say the least, while Weiss was noticeably scowling. All the students housed in one room constituted a dull roar that would deafen the hearing of anyone who entered.

At least it smelled nice. The faculty had provided a decent selection of food for the student, which Ruby was grateful for. Getting some cookies that smelled divine, she loaded some other food on her plate before she and her team settled in, having sat beside JNPR. Jaune's team had waved them over and now Nora was sharing stories, Ren cutting in to correct any lies she slipped in.

While they ate, Blake found her eyes drawn to Ruby. The young leader was so awkward, even when doing something simple like eating. Blake's face lit up with a smile when Ruby's semblance triggered, her cookie falling back onto the plate. The pout that crossed the girl's face was just too precious for the Faunus not to smile. Yang had patted her sister's head, before laughing too. "Don't worry Ruby, at least it's still there."

"Yeah," Ruby replied, smiling. She picked up the cookie, popping it in her mouth. Weiss looked at her in wonder, curious how it was possible. The cookie wasn't a small one, either, it was jumbo sized.

Dinner passed without any further issues, the two teams saying their goodbyes before going their separate ways in the hall. Team RWBY let out a collective sigh of relief when the door closed. Day one at Beacon Academy was a rousing success!

"I'm gonna sleep," Yang announced. "See you all in the morning." Hooking her hand over the head board over her bunk, she pulled herself up in a deft move, landing with a light thump. "These beds are awesome," she quipped before closing her eyes.

Weiss looked at Ruby. "She does know we have homework, right? It's not even that late either." To make her point, she pulled back the curtains, the sun still shining bright. The sky was a bit subdued, tinges of orange intermingling with the blue stretches of sky.

Nodding, the caped girl settled on Blake's bed. "Yeah, but Yang likes to take naps from time to time. She'll get up in an hour or two. If she doesn't, then I'll wake her up." Weiss accepted the answer and set about her own homework.

Settling next to Ruby, Blake spoke. "Are you going to get started now? Since we share a fair number of classes, we can go over it together."

"I'd appreciate it," Ruby replied. "Some of what the teachers went over was a bit over my head." Pulling out her own books and paper, she and Blake got started.

Weiss looked up from her pages. While it was a bit distracting, the other two girls were talking animatedly about the work. Well, Ruby was. Blake nodded and gave her own thoughts, sometimes having to explain something to the younger teen. Looking at the two, she thought that it seemed right to see them beside each other. It was hard to explain, but they were as similar as they were different.

Shaking her head to clear her jumbled thoughts, Weiss looked down at her work and sighed. Even for all her pride of being a Schnee, homework was hardly something she enjoyed doing. She knew a lot of the material, of course. Her father had made sure of that before she came to Beacon. Filling in some of the papers that had been assigned to them, she calmly finished her homework, never fretting over the menial task. After finishing a particular essay, she heard grumbling from the bunk above.

The bed shook lightly as Yang sat up, rubbing her eyes. Yawning loudly, she swung her legs over the edge of bed. "Watch out below," she called out, voice still sounding tired. She dropped down, landing a bit clumsily. Standing up, she smiled at her teammates before making her way to the bathroom.

Weiss closed her book setting it aside. "I'm going to grab some coffee. I'll be back in a bit." Placing her books aside, the heiress stepped out of the room.

Her sudden disappearance was a bit strange to the remaining two, but they shrugged it off. Filling in the last few answers on her worksheet, Ruby cheered. "We're finally done!" Stretching her arms quickly, she picked up her books and set them on top of the bookshelf. Blake stowed her books as well, reaching past Ruby to grab a novel from the shelves. Ruby noticed and spoke. "If it's not too much to ask, could we maybe, y'know, read together?"

Blake's eyes widened slightly before she nodded. "I wouldn't mind at all, Ruby." Patting the bed beside her, she beckoned the other girl to join her. "It helps that I was just starting to read this one."

It hadn't occurred to Blake that such a simple task as reading could be so thoroughly screwed with. She could feel it as Ruby sat beside her, the girl radiating a slight warmth that was extremely distracting in of itself. Not to mention the girl's scent. Blake's acute senses picked up on the subtle aroma that pervaded the air around Ruby. It was sugary and smelled of freshly baked cookies, the clean scent of flowers only slightly noticeable, if she were paying attention. Unfortunately, all of her attention was on the girl. For the life of her, Blake couldn't explain it.

What made this girl so different? Why couldn't Blake stay focused around her? These questions and others flew around her mind and she stared blankly at the pages of the book. "Can we turn the page?" Ruby asked, startling Blake out of her reverie.

"Y-yes, go ahead. I'm a fast reader, so feel free to turn the pages as you wish. I can reread it later, anyways." Blake's cheeks reddened as she glanced at the other girl. Oh, she was doomed and she didn't even know it.

Someone else knew, however. Leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, Yang had watched the exchange and was reigning in her laughter. All the awkward possibilities causing her to simultaneously bust out laughing and have her heart melt at the adorable images that came to mind. Yes, Yang Xiao Long was going to have a field day when Ruby and Blake ended up together. Not IF, WHEN.

Even if it took some patented Xiao Long matchmaking to make it work.

 **End…**

So, another chapter. This would've been released a lot earlier. As I've had a majority of it finished before today, it could've been posted so much sooner. I'm glad I hadn't finished it until now, since I have some news.

A new story is in the workings.

 _But GMG, you're already working on Phantom Rose and have yet to finish Snow White Roses…_

Worry not! This is a collab with no set timetable for releases and is some time off until it begins. I was speaking with Darkerpaths, someone who was also involved in Converging Paths, and we wanted to see how my readers reacted to the idea. As the others involved with Paths are not responding, we're not bring that story back to the forefront at the moment.

The Idea?

A dual timeline story pertaining mostly to the past of Ozpin and how he became the man he is. The secondary timeline is for Team RWBY and lessons imparted from Ozpin's timeline, as he relays the information to Ruby by way of story. The initial idea was a bit more strict and serious, with only one timeline, so some compromise was needed. From my stories, y'all probably noticed my more positive and free spirited style. Thus we incorporated a way to make things humorous, as well as incorporating the character that dominates the shipping poll for Ship Shape: RUBY.

The past timeline pertains to the war that Ozpin speaks about in Volume Three, whereas the future timeline has to do with RWBY sometime in the future after the events of Volume Three. I won't be sharing anymore details, simply because we haven't fleshed out a more solid idea yet, so it'll take some time to get it up and running.

 _GMG is planning for a story… RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!_

See you all in the next chapter and sorry for the long-ass AN. Adieu for now!


	7. Chapter 7

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 7. Been messing around on some of my games I play. Might need a controller to try some new techniques, but mostly just screwing around with my friends. Found some more music to listen to, didn't even know the artist had released a third album, until I was looking up some lyrics for older songs. The artist, if you were curious, is Blake Lewis. The guy likes beatboxing and electrical or poppy music, not sure of how to describe it very well. I liked his other two albums, so I'm probably gonna like this one too. That said, onto the story.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Yang was sure of it now. Ruby and Blake were meant to be, even if neither realized it… yet. She wasn't even sure if Ruby knew she was flirting with the older girl in her own quirky way. Almost every day, the blonde swore it was true, Ruby would give Blake a cookie or some similar treat. Ruby would wait with anticipation while Blake would try whatever treat was procured that day, and the younger girl would beam if the Faunus enjoyed the gift.

Of course, some other _interesting_ things happened. Yang was surprised that neither her nor the rest of the team realized the issue in Ruby having the top bunk. It was a bit obvious, looking back on it, but hindsight is twenty-twenty.

 **Flashback…**

 _Blake was sound asleep in her bunk, her calm breathing even. Suddenly, the bed jerked and bounced, startling the Faunus awake. Her golden eyes glowed in the low lighting as she looked around wildly. Beside her on the bed was Ruby, the girl face down in the mattress and sleeping as if nothing happened. Rolling back her covers, Blake got up, being careful to not disturb the sleeping girl. Crossing the space between the two bunks, she shook the blonde brawler awake._

" _Yang," Blake hissed lowly. "I need some help."_

 _Groaning, Yang's eyes opened and she turned her bleary eyes to look at Blake. "Is something wrong with Ruby?"_

 _Nodding slowly, Blake motioned to her bed. Ruby was still passed out, unfazed. "I think she fell through her bed again. Do I wake her?"_

" _Nah, she's probably fine. If anything, she'll land on the floor again." Yang yawned. "If you want, I'll help you get her back up to her bunk."_

 _Blake made to stop her when the blonde tried to pull back her covers. "It's fine. I don't mind, given that she can't control it. Aren't you worried that she'll fall through the floor, though?"_

 _Looking thoughtful, Yang fixed her hair and hummed. "No, not really. For all the things that have happened, she's never gone through the floor. I remember Dad being worried about that when her semblance started, but she's never gone through the floor or phased through her clothes, so we figured that something kept her from doing it."_

 _The Faunus seemed relieved. "Goodnight, Yang. Sorry for waking you."_

" _No problem, Blakey. Glad to see you care." Leaning back on her pillow, Yang was out within minutes._

 _Blake looked back at her bed and sighed. Sliding back under her covers, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come, trying to ignore the presence not so far from her._

 _ **XXXGMGXXX**_

 _The next morning was interesting, to say the least. Yang woke up early, her disturbed sleep having not done much to screw her over. Stifling a yawn, she checked to see if Weiss was still asleep. Miss grouchy was still asleep, so Yang decided it was safe enough to drop down. A light thump could be heard, but no one woke. Remembering her conversation with Blake from the night before, she glanced over to the other girl._

 _She was sleeping peacefully, but she wasn't alone. Her arms were encircled around Ruby, Yang's sister was curled into the older teen's embrace, a small smile on her face. Team RWBY's leader was snoring lightly, occasionally mumbling to herself. Blake's face was pressed into the raven locks of her sleeping partner, humming in content. Yang had to bite her fist from crooning loudly over the adorable sight._

 _She settled instead for taking a multitude of pictures._

 _Need for pictures taken care of, the blonde disappeared into the team's shared bathroom for a quick shower._

 _Yang was not present for what followed. Blake slowly woke, feeling warm and content. Inhaling, she was met with the pleasant scent of strawberries and… cookies? Oh well, she snuggled into the source of the smell, eyes still closed. Her mind slowly regained conscious thought and it struck her that she should check on Ruby. Opening her eyes, she squinted before her eyes adjusted. That was when the situation grew apparent. At first, she expected to have to look under her bed for the younger girl, but the familiar red-tinged hair was the first thing she saw._

 _Flushing in embarrassment, she extracted her arms from around Ruby. After she did, the warm feeling faded away and she almost regretted pulling away. Ruby's soft snoring teetered off and the girl yawned, signaling that she was awake. She sat up and blinked before catching Blake's gaze. Smiling brightly, she greeted the older girl. "Hiya, Blake! I hope I didn't wake you when I crashed with ya."_

" _You're fine, Ruby. You already said you can't control it, so it's understandable." Blake was happy to see the girl's smile widen. "We should get ready for class, though." She chuckled when the redhead pouted and grumbled._

 **Flashback over…**

Currently, the team was sitting in the cafeteria, Ruby having gone off to get more to eat. Yang and Blake both watched with interest as various guys walked up to the young leader and she smiled at them and had little chats with each one, every guy walking off, slightly upset. Blake looked at her teammate in surprise. "You're not going to go into 'Big Sister' mode and crowd her?"

Yang laughed at the title. "Don't have to. It's no issue if guys talk with her, it's not like she'll go out on a date with any of them."

Realization clicked in Blake. "Ah. I see." Some small part of her was pleased with this information.

"I don't understand," Weiss said, causing the other two to look at her. "Why wouldn't she date them? Is she already in a relationship?

Yang snickered. "Let's just say she prefers the sheath to the sword, Weissicle." **(1)**

It took the heiress a moment to process the information. When it clicked for her, she blushed furiously. "Oh…"

"Just like her sis," Yang continued, taking a bite from her chicken leg. "We told Dad and he said he wasn't surprised." Swallowing the bite, she shrugged. "He said something about all Xiao Longs being lady killers and left it at that."

"Your manners certainly attest to that," Blake said dryly.

A loud commotion drew the notice from the three, their eyes landing on Ruby yelling at Cardin Winchester, the bully having been picking on Velvet, a rabbit Faunus in a class above them. It was amusing to see the short leader yelling at Cardin and actually striking fear into him. The brute of a guy left quickly, his team not too far behind.

It was a short trip back to the table after that. Ruby sat down and looked at them with a smile. "Is something wrong?"

Yang was the first to reply. "What happened?"

Ruby shrugged. "Cardin was being a nimrod and picking on Velvet. I kinda told him off and he ran off. Why?"

"No reason," Yang replied. "It's just strange to see you step up for someone. It's been awhile since the last incident in Signal."

Blake frowned, wondering what had happened at Signal. She could ask later.

 **End…**

 **1) A quote from Fate-117. Aside from the Weissicle part. I just thought it was a bit funny and got permission to use that line.**

So, another chapter out of the way. A little more about Ruby's semblance, though not everything has been said yet. There's more to come with this story, so I look forward to writing it some more. It's been awhile since I've written a chapter while listening to music, but it got done, so I'm pleased with that. With that said…

Adieu, for now!


	8. Chapter 8

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 8 of Phantom Rose. I got a really nice review recently for this story, so I was going over what I had written for the previous chapter and ideas sprung up. I'll be mentioning the reviewer in the end note, seeing as my phone is occupied, while I type this. You can thank them for this chapter, indirectly as it was their doing. XD

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Feeling the bed frame dig into her back, Blake groaned in annoyance. Leaning forward, she reached behind herself and adjusted her pillow, trying to get the correct cushioning, so she wasn't being prodded by an inanimate object. Folding the pillow, she placed it on her back and held it there as she leaned back, wedging it between herself and the head rest. Picking up her book, amber eyes sought their previous placement and she continued reading. Thankfully, it was quiet in the dorm. Only the light breathing of herself and one other permeated the air, but not distractingly so.

Across from her, laying on her stomach, was Ruby. The younger teen had her own novel in hand, brow furrowed in concentration as she read, tongue poking out from the side of her mouth. Blake stole a glance at her and an amused glint played in her eyes. Ruby's childish charms were often effortless and this was no exception. It wouldn't have surprised Blake if someone had predicted Ruby having the school wrapped around her finger by the time she graduated. Though, if she had to admit it, Blake herself was wrapped around the girl's finger without a doubt in the Faunus' mind.

Beacon hadn't been in session for even a month and it was a bit unsettling to Blake at how fast she had bonded with her partner. Staring blankly at her book, she let her mind wander. Blake wasn't exactly the kind of person to let people get close, but a certain scythe-wielder was making shop in her heart.

A light rustling of paper was all the warning she had, before her leg was nudged. Blake smiled and closed her book, training her eyes on Ruby's silver pools. Ruby returned the smile as she sat up and faced the Faunus. Holding out her hands, Ruby made a grasping action, pleased when Blake placed her hands in Ruby's upturned palms, allowing herself to be pulled over. They sat, facing each other, Ruby's fingers twined with Blake's. While most would figure it to be a romantic thing for either, it was a little tradition that Ruby has started a couple of weeks prior.

They would share about themselves, to better understand each other, while still respecting one another's boundaries. Ruby wasn't as secretive as Blake, but she did respect the raven-haired girl's privacy. "So, anything you wanna talk about, Blakey?"

"Yeah. Yang had said something about incidents at Signal?" Blake looked down at her lap, slightly awkward about asking a personal question. "Could you tell me anything about it?"

Grasping for the memory, Ruby's brow furrowed. "When did she say that, again?"

"When you helped Velvet," Blake supplied, getting a nod from Ruby.

Ruby's thumbs traced soothing circles on the back of Blake's hands, the younger of the two humming before responding. "That was just one of a handful of 'incidents' that happened at Signal." She looked down at their entwined hands and frowned, one of her hands flickering and Blake's falling out of its grasp, landing on her calf. "I was made fun of for my semblance, or my lack of control over it. I wasn't the only one bullied, though. Most of the time it was the Faunus."

Blake's breath hitched in her throat. "They weren't treated kindly at Signal?"

"The school treated them fine," Ruby said, soothing the other girl. "But bullies loved to pick on them. I knew how it felt, slightly. They and I were treated differently for how we were born, so I stood up for them. It didn't help my own situation any, though." A small frown crossed her lips. "They called me an 'animal lover' and said I must have a thing for bestiality."

With her free hand, Blake placed her hand on Rub's cheek, lifting the girl's face gently, so she could see her eyes. The bright silvers were shiny with tears and Ruby shook with a muffled sob. Blake freed her other hand, using both to pull Ruby into her lap and hugging the girl closer. It seemed a crime to make such an innocent girl cry. If Blake ever learned the name of those bullies, she'd hunt them down. In her arm, Ruby shook lightly, crying. It may have been a bit much, but she hadn't talked to anyone about the past. Yang was too carefree and her dad wasn't her go to choice.

Blake ran her fingertips over Ruby's back, humming soothingly. The touches were comforting and Ruby felt calmer after the ministrations. Burying her face into the crook of her partner's neck, she sighed contentedly. "Thank you, Blake. Sorry for getting so worked up over this."

The humming stopped and the hands froze. "Don't apologize," Blake said sternly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Ruby." Squeezing lightly, she hummed again. "It was nice what you did for those Faunus. Not many would stand up for them."

"They don't deserve it," Ruby mumbled.

A somber expression came across Blake's features as she weighed Ruby's words. Perhaps she could tell her partner? Reveal the truth of her lineage? Blake frowned. No, it wasn't the best time. She had confidence that Ruby would accept her, but with the team leader's current state, it wasn't a good idea to heap more onto her plate.

Ruby closed her eyes, relaxing into the embrace of the older girl. Blake was warm and Ruby's space was enveloped in the smell of tea, a slight flower scent, and… tuna? A smile pulled at her lips. Blake really liked tuna. Despite their awkward position, Ruby started to drift off.

Blake jolted slightly when she heard the door to the room open. A blush pooled in her cheeks, realizing what she and Ruby's position may suggest. She was thankful, at least, for Ruby being asleep. The light footsteps approached the bed and Blake turned her head to see Yang grinning at her. When the blonde spoke, it was naught more than a whisper. "Comfortable?" she asked, looking incredibly cheeky.

The pink tone of Blake's cheeks harshened into a more crimson shade. "It's not what looks like."

Yang shrugged. "Even if it was, I wouldn't really mind." She reached over a tousled her sister's hair and smiling softly. "It's kind of obvious, ya know. You care for my little sis." She glanced at Blake. "Normally, I'm supposed to go 'Big Sister' and chase you off, but you make Rubes very happy."

Not electing to respond, Blake looked at the form in her arms. Something swelled in her chest every time she was around Ruby, pulling her close and catching her breath. "I'll try to make her the happiest person I know." She looked up at Yang. "Shouldn't be too hard, right? She already is the most cheerful of us."

Snickering, Yang nodded. "That's Ruby. We could be facing down an army of Grimm and she'd still probably have a huge grin on her face." The truth in that statement caused a pause in the blonde's demeanor. "It makes me question her sanity, to be honest." Both girls stopped before laughing. Yang stretched her arms and yawned. "I'mma take a nap, Blakey. Weiss said she'd be back soon, to let you know."

Blake nodded. "Okay, Yang. Sleep well."

 **End…**

The reviewer's name is… **Mossblomma.**

So, POSSIBLY, I'll have another chapter done soon, but that depends on how lazy I feel… Anywho, if a chapter doesn't come out before the 17th of this month, then you should not expect it for at least another week after that, seeing as Bravely Second should arrive via mail by then and I will be playing that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask (as always) and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Adieu for now!


	9. Chapter 9

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 9. So, A NEW POLL IS UP. It's a joke poll, more to survey my readers, as opposed to changing the story. A special thanks to **2013** for pointing out the error in chapter 8. Sorry about the long pause between updates. I have been up to many a thing in my time away from the site. That said, onwards to the chapter.

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY._**

Blake yawned quietly. Her eyes were drooping and her shoulders slumped. Looking around with her half-lidded stare, she yawned again. The other three were gone. Grabbing her scroll, she opened it and glanced at the time. It was still relatively early in the afternoon, she noted. The curtains were pulled, so the room was pretty dim, with the lights off. Her arms rose up, another yawn pulling at her as she stretched.

Standing up, she swung her arms in a loose circle, trying to shake some feeling into them. She heard the shimmery sound of fabric as the door opened and Ruby stepped inside.

The young leader's jaw dropped and her face turned a nice shade of scarlet. Not sure what caused this, Blake followed the girl's gaze and her own eyes widened to the size of dinner platters. Pooled on the ground around her was her kimono. Snatching up the fabric in a hurry and rushing into the bathroom, she cursed under her breath. She had been so tired that she had forgotten to tie the belt before dozing off.

As for Ruby; the girl was still frozen in place, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to process what she had just seen. Jolting into motion, she walked over to Blake's bed and sat down, plopping down unceremoniously. The image of her half-naked partner was repeating in the forefront of her mind, a stupid grin on her face as she thought of every detail. Blake hadn't been wearing a bra.

To say she thought Blake was beautiful would be an understatement. Not just her body, mind you! Ruby enjoyed having someone to read with and Blake's dry humor had caused her to laugh more times than she could count. She liked spending time with the older girl, and Ruby always felt comfortable when they were hanging out. The fact that she was visually appealing too was a bonus. A very enticing bonus, Ruby would admit.

Maybe she could ask Blake for a date… As the thought entered her mind, a cold feeling rose in her stomach. She squashed it down, but an uneasy feeling settled over her. She felt a slight pressure in her chest as she tried to keep her resolve steady. She would do this!

While these thoughts played in her head, Blake was berating herself in the bathroom. She just had to forget to knot her belt before going to sleep! Tried to calm the blush on her face at the embarrassment of Ruby seeing her so exposed, she took a deep breath. Double checking to see if she had her kimono on properly, she unlocked the door and stepped out.

"Blake," Ruby called, catching her attention. The Faunus went to apologize, but Ruby stood up and looked at her, continuing, "Would you go on a date with me?"

Of all the things she expected to hear, that wasn't one of them. For once, Blake didn't have any idea of what to say. "Huh?"

Ruby giggled at her friend's expression. "I asked you on a date." A slight tinge of timidity entered her voice. "Yes, no, maybe so?"

"Yes," Blake said, smiling at Ruby. "That sounds lovely."

Ruby threw up a fist in victory. "Banzai!" Blake chuckled before repeating it softly. Both were laughing and Ruby hugged Blake. "Thanks, Blake."

An idea struck Blake and she pulled back from Ruby. "Before we go on our date, there's something I should let you know."

The caped girl looked curious. "What's that, Blake?" In response, Blake tugged off her bow, revealing the cat ears below the fabric. Ruby's eyes went wide as she let out an 'awwww' at the sight. "They're so cute!"

Blake looked down, bashful at the comment. "I'm glad you think so. I'm a cat Faunus, Ruby. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Yang or Weiss, yet." Replacing the bow, she hugged Ruby again.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The two partners walked along the street, hands twined together. Blake was gazing around at the various people going about their way, while Ruby skipped and hummed happily. What a pair they made, Blake mused. A hyperactive girl, hyped up on Dust knows how much sugar, and the quiet and reserved Faunus, who'd rather have her nose in a book than in a social situation. Ruby's demeanor was infectious, to say the least, if the ever present smile on Blake's lips was anything to go by.

She felt a tug on her hand and amber eyes flickered up to look at Ruby. The excitable girl pointed at a place across the street. "That's the place I was talking about, Blake! They have really good cookies. I think Yang said their coffee was good and even Weiss said she liked their tea. I don't really like either, but I thought you might. They have really good hot cocoa too!"

Blake laughed at her girlfriend's excitement. "I guess I'll have to see for myself, but these shining reviews are reassuring." Nudging Ruby playfully, she grinned. "I'll have to try these cookies myself."

Glancing both ways for any traffic, the two crossed the road. Ruby dropped Blake's hand, jogging ahead to open the door, holding it for Blake, so the older girl could enter first. A bright smile was plastered on Ruby's face. "After you."

Blake feigned a swoon. "How romantic," she said, chuckling. She passed through the door before turning and holding it open as Ruby entered behind her, her hand shaking slightly, given the bad leverage from holding the door open from the inside. Once the girl was past her, she turned to follow her, only to bump into her. "Sorry, Ruby."

Ruby didn't turn, only reaching behind her to poke her before pointing across the room. Weiss and Yang were situated in a booth in one of the corners. "We should say hello."

Blake nodded. She was curious as to why they were there, so she followed Ruby. As they were walking over, the two witnessed Weiss and Yang share a kiss, causing Ruby and Blake's eyes to widen. Hurrying over, Ruby poked Yang, causing her to jump away from Weiss, eyes locking on Ruby. "Hey, sis! What're you doing here?"

Ignoring the question, Ruby asked in a whisper yell, "When did this happen?! I thought she hated you!"

Weiss, for her part, looked mortified having been caught with Yang. The blonde in question smiled. "We've been an item for about a week. She didn't want you or Blake to know, so I didn't say." A grin split her face. "And I knew she didn't hate me. I'm too lovable."

"As if," Weiss muttered. "I suppose you have your moments, though." Glancing at Ruby, she noticed Blake approaching. "Why are you two here, anyways?"

Blake smirked. "Same reason as you two. We're on a date."

Yang looked at her sister before looking at Blake. "Well, I'll be damned… Who asked who?"

Ruby puffed up her chest in pride. "I did!"

Before Yang could prod further, Blake interjected. "We'll leave you to your date and we'll continue ours. We can talk about this later."

Weiss nodded. "Indeed. I suppose this would've happened sooner or later." Seeing that Yang wanted to prod further, she glared at Yang. "Leave them alone for now, Yang. You can interrupt their other dates. Have some decency and let them have their first one."

Ruby nodded and wandered over to order some drinks. Blake glanced at her before mouthing a thank you to Weiss and walking over to catch up with the girl.

 **End…**

Hope you all liked. Remember to check out the poll and I'll see you in the next chapter! Adieu for now!


	10. Chapter 10

Yo Peeps, GMG back with another chapter. Having not posted in some time, I realized that people actually cared about this story… if over 3,000 views in the last two days was anything to go by. The poll answers spiked and it was closer than I thought. I'll keep it up, since a few days isn't enough to get a solid answer, but two thirds of you voted "adorkable kisses", the remaining third voting for "hardcore smut." I did get questioned if both would be an acceptable answer and, if y'all want, I can add it to the selection, so you can vote. ONWARDS TO STORY AND ADORKABLE KISSES! MAYBE! Probably? I dunno… *shrugs*

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. Ain't that something?_**

With the awkward interaction with the other two members of Team RWBY, Blake had a chance to actually notice things about the Yellow Brick Café ( **1** ) that she hadn't been focused on. Just inhaling the air had her eyes fluttering and forcing her to stifle a purr of content. The various aromas of coffees and teas flushed her senses. A tingle of pleasure shot up her arms as she sighed in content. The familiar smell relaxed her and she knew she'd be coming to this place more often.

Ruby had noticed Blake's reaction and her silver eyes were wide at the sight. It was so cute seeing Blake looking so entranced with the place. Best. Date. Idea. EVER! Giving herself a mental high five, she prodded Blake. A small giggle erupted when Blake jumped in surprise. "What do you want to drink, Blake?"

It came to mind to respond with 'whatever is the source of this divine smell' and to be honest it seemed like a good idea, but she couldn't order every drink the store offered. She rather liked not being bound to a bathroom for one reason or another. "I'll let you choose, since you're the expert here."

Turning to the woman at the cash register, she ordered two cocoas and a half dozen of chocolate chip cookies. Blake didn't catch what Ruby whispered to the woman, but the grin on the younger girl's face reassured her it wasn't anything too bad… she hoped. Lien was exchanged and a crinkled up receipt was stuffed into Ruby's waist pouch. Order placed, the meandered over to the part of the counter where they'd receive their drinks.

Blake heard a slight crinkle of plastic wrap as Ruby dropped the cookies on a nearby table, throwing her snow white cloak over the back of a chair, claiming the table for the two before returning to Blake's side. At Blake's questioning look, Ruby smiled. "We'll need our hands free to hold the hot cocoa."

"I suppose," Blake replied. "What was the extra bit you said?"

Ruby's brow scrunched up in confusion. "You mean what I whispered?" At Blake's nod, she laughed. "A surprise, silly. That's why I whispered it, ya know!" She bumped into the Faunus playfully, silver eyes bright with mischief. As she said this, their mugs had arrived with a small plate with two chocolate covered strawberries.

The cat Faunus was convinced that the strawberries had been the surprise, but once glance at the mug Ruby offered her and that thought was dashed. She had heard of latte art, she thought the idea a bit clever. In her cup, the milk poured into her cocoa had been masterfully handled and a little fish was swirling about atop the brown pool beneath it. She could make out a few scales and she had to resist the urge to try and catch the realistic looking fish in her hands.

Damn her instincts…

A light laugh pulled her attention from the fish as she glanced at her date. Ruby was snickering at the sight of Blake's golden eyes being completely intent on the fish. Reaching over, she placed her mug at their table before pulling out one of the chairs for the Faunus. Blake sat, blushing at the affectionate gesture and the embarrassment at being so enraptured with a hot chocolate drink.

She heard a slight screech as Ruby pulled her own chair back before sitting in it. It was followed with the sound of rustling fabrics as the clumsy girl tried to fix her cloak, so she could lean against the chair with some semblance of comfort, no pun intended. Blake had the feeling that Yang was laughing somewhere and prayed that Weiss wasn't having her eardrums annihilated. A cheer of victory let her know that Ruby had succeeded in taming the mass of fabric. Focusing on the girl, she saw Ruby open the wrapped cookies, setting three on a napkin and sliding them over to Blake, making her smile.

Ruby picked up one of the treats from her share and grinned as she went to eat it, only for her hand to flicker and the cookie to drop to the table, crumbling apart and making a mess. Frowning, she tried grabbing the second one, but her hand refused to submit to her wish for a cookie. Using her other hand, she tried, but with similar results. Blake noticed Ruby's eyes becoming misty as a red flush filled her cheeks.

Blake's mood soured as she saw a tear trail from Ruby's eyes. Concern filled the elder girl and she reached for the girl's hands. "Ruby," she said, sounding sad. "It's okay."

It went unnoticed by either that Blake had managed to grab hold of Ruby's hands. The thought was far from either's mind. Ruby just shook her head and glared at the cookies, another tear leaking. "It's not okay."

Standing, the Faunus pulled Ruby up and glanced around, eyes catching on the doors to the bathroom. Pulling the girl after her, she led them into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. When the lock clicked, Blake pulled the girl into a hug. She felt numb, Ruby shaking in her arms with not a clue as to how to make it better. How did you handle a sobbing girl? Blake was unsure, to say the least.

She knew it wasn't just the cookies that had caused this. If it had been just that, Ruby probably would've ordered some more cookies. The raven haired girl knew it had more to do with Ruby's semblance. It had bothered her so many times, that this must've been a breaking point. "It's gonna be okay, Ruby," Blake reassured. "I promise it will get better."

Ruby shook her head against Blake. "It's not." Her voice was muffled. "My stupid semblance is always gonna mess with me." She looked up at Blake, silver meeting gold. "I just wanted cookies and I can't even have that, Blake!"

Blake rested her forehead against Ruby's. "If it's about the cookies, I could feed them to you," she suggested.

"You shouldn't have to," Ruby protested. "I don't want to be babied because of my semblance. I just want it to stop messing with my life!"

Mulling the words over, Blake shook her head, adopting a goofy grin as she quoted the girl in her arms. "Nope."

Ruby pouted at Blake. "It's always done me nothing but annoy me."

"Nope."

Now, Ruby looked annoyed. "Would you stop that?"

"Nope." Blake laughed. "It has done some positive things. Saving your life, the whole situation with Weiss where you two became friends, and landing you in my bed quite often." Blake listed off the points, getting a begrudging nod from the girl in her arms.

"Fine," Ruby said, blowing a raspberry at Blake. "I'll stop complaining about it."

Blake grinned. "Good. Now let's get back to our date. There are still some cookies left."

Exiting the bathroom, they returned to their seats. The issue passed them, Ruby managed to pick up her cookies and eat them. She even got a snort of laughter out of Blake when she swept the crumbs of the table and knocked them back with a swig from her cocoa.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The two returned to the room, the afternoon light having given way to night's beautiful starlit sky. Weiss and Yang were getting some snacks for some reason or another, leaving the couple to their own devices. The room's window was pushed open and both girls were draping their legs out into the open air, Ruby leaning against Blake. Even through her night pants, she felt the cool air drift over her calves, causing her to shiver. The Faunus was likely no better off, with her kimono not covering her legs at all. A sight an appreciative Ruby was thankful for.

A black pair of socks were pulled up Blake's legs, only coming slightly up her calves, but that was the extent of the coverage. Silver eyes were more focused on the milky skin she could see. The way the moonlight danced over the expanse of it, Ruby was ensnared by the sight, only broken from her thoughts when Blake called her name. Looking up, she inwardly cursed. Turning from one trap, she slammed into another. The beautiful face of Blake Belladonna. Yellow pools shimmered, reflecting the light from the moon, giving them an ethereal glow.

Blake held similar thoughts of Ruby's eyes, the silver pools appearing a shimmering white. She felt an urge at that moment, and without conscious thought, she leaned down and placed her lips over Ruby's. She pulled back and giggled at the wide eyed expression of her leader. Breaking from her trance, Ruby laughed too, nuzzling against Blake and returning the kiss.

A rumbling sound caused Ruby to jump, looking around. Were Weiss and Yang back? She heard a laugh from Blake and looked at the teen. Blake was smiling at her affectionately, a rumbling sound coming from her, causing her body to tremble. "It's okay, Ruby. I'm purring."

"Oh." Ruby said, gawking. She stared at Blake for a moment before squealing. Hugging Blake suddenly, she started running off at the mouth. "Oh my Dust, that's so cute. I have a purring girlfriend. I know I'm a dog person, 'cause of Zwei, but the purring is so adorable and oh my Dust!"

"Zwei?" Blake questioned.

"Yup," Ruby confirmed. "Yang and I have a dog."

Two things happened at that point. Blake stopped purring and then she fainted.

 **End…**

 **1) Yellow Brick Café originates in Bloodstained Chess Board.**

Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I was talking with Phoenix Commander while typing it and we discussed an idea. Nothing is set in stone, but a poll will be coming up in a later chapter regarding a name that we discussed. Remember to vote for the current poll and I'll see you around. Adieu for now!


	11. Chapter 11

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 11. Two quick things, then I'll start the chapter. A third option was added to the poll and the current result are still at the 2:1 ratio in favor of Adorkable Kisses. ONWARDS!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

"And you got this how?" Blake asked dryly, the barest hints of a smile forming. The thing in question was the large square mattress, pillow, thing that Ruby had managed to get into the room. On top of that, the various cords hanging off the side of it, the majority of the blankets laid over it were electrically heated. Not to mention the fact that there were various pillow strewn across the thing.

Waggling her fingers mystically, Ruby laughed. "Magic!" It was whispered conspiratorially. "Tell no one." Flopping onto the bed, she squirmed around excitedly before letting her arms drop on either side of her, looking lie she was about to make snow angels out of the blankets. "Who cares where I got it, Blake? Try it! It's so warm."

Blake relented and crawled onto the bed. Given that both were garbed in their pajamas, she was keenly aware of the warmth that radiated from the sheets. Unbidden, a purr sprang forth from her chest and she curled in on herself, eyes half lidded. How could a day get any more perfect? She had a very nice bath and now she was treated to this instrument of divine sleep technology. Still purring, she nuzzled Ruby, planting a kiss on the girl's cheek. "Thanks for this, Ruby." She stretched sleepily before draping an arm over the other girl. "Mmm, I could stay like this forever."

"Maybe not forever," Ruby said playfully. "The blankets would run their batteries dry eventually."

"Ruby?"

"Yeah, Blake?"

"Shut up."

Ruby laughed and pushed Blake away, getting a growl from the Faunus. Picking up a pillow, she whacked Blake with it, getting an amused hiss from the older girl. Blake rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up, grabbing a pillow of her own to defend herself. It was a novel experience to say the least.

Having been raised by the White Fang for much of her childhood, playing around in bed with a friend, let alone a girlfriend, was unheard of. Blake shook of the thought and grinned. Leave it to the overly childish leader of her team to give her back some semblance of a childhood. Of course, there were a few perks that being there age had.

Namely the kisses they shared. Both were panting and laughing from the brief tussle, peppering one another with breathless kisses while giggling like school children. When their breathing settled, Blake caught Ruby's lips for a more meaningful kiss, drawing a hum from the girl. Ruby shifted her position, pressing Blake back into the warm blankets, lips still pressing against each other.

Breaking the kiss, Ruby smiled down at Blake, leaning down to plant a teasing kiss on the Faunus' neck. The purr that came from the contact made Ruby grin evilly. Like a fly to a flame, Ruby had drawn Blake in and her trap was laid perfectly. It was too late when Blake noticed the expression on her girlfriend's face and before she could ask, Ruby's hand were at her sides, tickling her mercilessly.

Blake bucked and squirmed below the smaller girl, laughing uncontrollably and begging for mercy from the onslaught. In a desperate measure, she shoved Ruby off of her, sending the girl toppling off the bed.

Ruby sat up, head spinning. Glancing at Blake, her eyes widened and her jaw fell. As Blake moved to a sitting position, she caught Ruby's stare and followed it… down to where she should have been wearing panties. Golden eyes caught silver, horror dawning in the former. Blake pushed her kimono over her exposed area.

THE SECOND TIME! First her kimono falling off, leaving her in her underwear. Now, she forgot to put on her underwear after having slipped her kimono on after her shower. Darting to her clothes, she grabbed her undergarments and slid into the bathroom.

Silver eyes stared at the closed door before Ruby face planted on the bed, screaming into it and waving her arms wildly. Of the things she hadn't expected to see, that sight was top of the list.

A red faced Blake exited the bathroom, clutching at the hem of her pajamas as she sat down on the bed. "I'm so sorry, Ruby. I must've forgotten earlier."

Ruby's face was equally red, though she laughed nervously. "It's not like I'm gonna complain." At Blake's weird look, she continued. "Well, we are together together and I really like you and you're so pretty and Yang said these thoughts were normal, but I kind of figured later on, we'd uh… ya'know? That?"

"Oh," Blake said. How did one respond to that? "I appreciate that you like me that much and I'm flattered you appreciated the view, but that should've been some time off." Blake sighed. "We've only been together for like a week now. Not everything is a happy ending, Ruby."

A small hand grabbed hers, causing Blake to look into Ruby's eyes. The younger girl looked at her, a very serious look on her face. "The two of us, Blake! We're a happy ending. I can feel it and not some stupid crush. I don't know why I know, but I do. We'll have a happy ending."

Adam's face flashed into Blake's mind, causing her to frown. She wouldn't mention it to Ruby, but she wasn't so sure of their chances. Squirming awkwardly, Blake tried to figure out something to say. "Should we go to sleep, now?"

A little upset at Blake not responding to her heartfelt statements, Ruby nodded still. "Yeah, but I need your help moving this." Pointing to where there bunkbeds had been previously, she laughed. "I thought you might like this bed better, so I got some help with moving the bunkbeds out."

Minutes later and the bed moved, the girls settled under the cover of the warm blankets and dozed off. Later that night had Weiss and Yang stumbling into the room, Weiss looking a bit worse for wear. She took one glance at the other couple before shaking her head and dropping onto her own bed. Rolling onto her back, she looked at Yang and hissed in discomfort. "I still can't believe you did that, let alone though of that."

Yang just grinned before hoisting herself up to her bunk. "We both know you loved it."

 **End…**

So… yeah… Hope you all enjoyed. There isn't much to add at this point, but I do have one thing to add here. Phoenix Commander has a story for the ladybug pairing based in the future. It's called Glyph Runner and its a sci fi AU. Next update is probably within the next few weeks, given what we talked about. Check it out if you wish to. Remember to vote for the poll and I'll see you next chapter. Adieu for now!


	12. Chapter 12

Yo Peeps, GMG back with Chapter 12. Summer is on its way and it's freaking hot in my room because of it. -_- If anyone was wondering about what Yang and Weiss did exactly, it may show up as a chapter for Ship Shape. The idea was more of joke from chatting with Phoenix Commander and it has to do with glow in the dark golf balls. Anyways, time to make another chapter.

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY._**

Team RWBY found themselves at the docks that day, watching as the various ships came in. Weiss had stated that, as a student of Beacon, she wanted to properly greet the arrivals from the other schools. The Vytal Festival was upcoming in the next semester, so the heiress wanted to see the other students with her own eyes and maybe discover some useful information for the tournament.

Instead, they arrived to the amusing scene of a monkey Faunus taunting some of the men from a ship he had stowed away in. The self-proclaimed "Great Stowaway" laughed once more at the men before fleeing. His path had him zooming past the four girls, a wink aimed at the only one wearing a bow.

Weiss, for one, couldn't allow for such inappropriate behavior take place and chased after him, the other three on her tail. The chase hadn't gotten far before something happened. He rounded a corner and Weiss followed, slamming into someone, sending both to the ground. Catching up, Yang pulled the white haired girl to her feet, pecking her on the cheek. "You okay, Weiss cream?"

From the ground, the other girl that was knocked down waved at the team. "Salutations!" She had red hair and a small bow, her clothes predominantly whites, blacks, and greens. "My name is Penny!"

Ruby waved at the girl, smiling. "Hello, Penny. I'm Ruby." When the girl stayed on the ground, not budging, Ruby's smile twitched as she was a bit unsure of what to do.

Beside her, Blake rolled her eyes. "Would you care to stand up? I'm sure the ground is a bit uncomfortable." Her voice was soft, but there was genuine curiosity in her tone. She doubted anyone would find the tarmac comfortable.

In a single move, Penny was standing. The awkward girl couldn't could get a word in before Weiss cut in, shoving a crude drawing of the Faunus from earlier in the other girl's face. "Did you see where this rapscallion went?"

Blake looked annoyed, frowning at Weiss. "He isn't a rapscallion. You don't need to insult him."

"He did kind of stow away on a boat, Blake," Yang reminded her.

Weiss glared at the two, dropping the paper. "He's probably one of the White Fang. I don't want him causing trouble for anyone else, and he's a scoundrel. A delinquent!" Behind her, Ruby had picked up the sketch, Penny looking at it too. The two girls murmured over it until Weiss heard and spun on her heel to look at them. "What are you two talking about, now? We need to find him!"

Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "We were just talking about your drawing. I thought it was pretty good," she said, looking down.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Weiss sighed. Behind her, Blake was still looking a bit steamed. "Would you quit calling him names? And why do you think he's a White Fang? There's no proof."

As Weiss turned to argue, Yang ambled over to her sister and Penny. "Sorry Penny, but maybe we'll see each other later. We need to resolve a team issue."

Penny nodded. "Very well, friends, I will leave you to it." The strange girl walked off, leaving the two sisters to look at each other and then their respective girls. It would be a pain getting back to the dorm without them tearing each other apart.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake yelled. All four stopped. Weiss stared and Yang's jaw hit the ground. Blake looked between the two before her bow pressed flat against her head and she made a run for it.

Right into Ruby.

As soon as she felt arms try to wrap her in a hug, she tapped into her semblance, a shadow taking her place as she tried to get past Ruby and to the door.

Key word is "tried" in that statement.

Blake managed to get out the door and turned to bolt down the hall, but a hand shot from the wall, grabbing her. She was jerked back as Ruby came out of the wall, pulling Blake into a hug. The Faunus's head rested on Ruby's shoulder as the younger girl nuzzled into her hair. "Stay," she commanded. Her soft voice calmed Blake somewhat and she nodded. They stayed a few moments before Ruby spoke again. "Now that they know, we should talk about this."

The older girl didn't fight back as she was pulled back into the room. Weiss stood, but any words on her lips died as she caught sight of Blake, a cold stare forming instead. Ruby shook her head and sat Blake down on their shared bed. "Alright, Team RWBY! We have things to discuss."

Weiss sniffed the air haughtily. "I refuse to talk to a no good Faunus." She turned away, not noticing Yang frown.

The brawler looked at her sister's partner before turning back to her own. "Isn't that a bit racist, Weiss?"

The heiress whirled to look at Yang, blue eyes cold with anger. "I have nothing against the Faunus, Yang! She was part of the White Fang!" She gestured to Blake. "Maybe you didn't hear me clearly, but they ruined my childhood and killed my family members!"

"Both of you, stop!" Ruby said, her voice hard as Yang and Weiss looked at her, surprised. "I doubt Blake would even be here at Beacon if she were still a member. Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions, Weiss, you could ask her for her side! And, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Faunus have always gotten the short end of the stick as it is!"

Blake nodded at what Ruby said. "I did leave them." Looking at Weiss, she stared at the girl with a resolute look. "I didn't kill anyone, because that wasn't what I believed in. I was part of the original cause. We wanted equality. Desperately, but we tried our hand with peaceful protests. We didn't hurt anyone and progress was slow, but we were getting there!"

Weiss huffed. "Explain the violence then."

"Leadership changed," Blake shot back. "In his place, a new leader emerged. He was more aggressive in his attempts at securing equality. Warehouses were burnt and trains were hijacked, but no one was hurt at first. That slowly changed to, to the point where my own partner was willing to forsake the lives of others, all in the name of equality! He wanted to kill them and I refused to go that far, so I ran!" She smiled bitterly. "Like every single problem I've ever had, I ran and I didn't look back."

The room was engulfed in silence. Ruby hugged Blake, rocking the girl slightly, trying to comfort her. Yang shrugged and sat down, giving the Faunus a quick thumbs up. Weiss, however, look conflicted. "I want to trust you, Blake," she said finally. "You haven't wronged this team in anyway, so you might be telling the truth. If we agree to never bring this up, I'll leave you be." Clasping her hands together, she took a deep breath before letting it out. "I'm sorry for insulting you, Blake. I doubt we'll be friends after this, but as long as you stay true to what you've said, we can still be teammates."

Blake nodded. "Okay."

"Such a deep and thought out response," Yang commented, snickering. "That was soooooo lame, Blake." When Blake didn't respond, Yang grinned. "What, cat got your tongue?"

A groan issued from the Faunus and Weiss face palmed. "You dolt! And you were calling me racist!"

Yang just laughed and shrugged. "I was just kitten. Don't tear me a new one, Weiss. I'm pretty sure it against the claw and you'd probably ruin my purrfect hair!" As soon as she said that, three pillows flew at her, one impacting her in the face with the other two close behind. She stayed sitting from the first. The second had her reeling and the third sent her sprawling.

 **End…**

Needed some plot progression, I suppose. Some quick things before I head off. Would you guys like it if I used twitter and kept updates about chapter progress and ideas? I would like to better connect with the people who read my stories, so maybe it'd be cool to do that. If you want to find me on there it is GateMasterGreen, but I'd still like some feedback on here if you want me to. Also, sorry for the puns… Not really. Adieu for now!


	13. Chapter 13

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 13 of PR. Long story short as to why I didn't update, VACATION. I was visiting my Dad and there was even a stretch of five days that I didn't have wifi or access to my computer. One of the readers has actually messaged me on Kik… KIK mind you. Wasn't expecting it, but I won't complain. They talked to me about a few things, but I figured it'd be good to work on a chapter after being asked about it twice. Needed to figure out the scenario focal point for this chapter and it actually spanned the two poll choices. Speaking of; Adorkable is winning by a lot. I'll explain the focal points at the end of chapter that I considered.

 _ **Diclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Ever wake up and decide that you weren't leaving the bed, no matter what hell would be unleashed? This very same decision was made by Blake as she opened her eyes partially. Any blankets that had covered her were discarded in favor of letting the cool air caress her pale skin. A shudder of delight passed through her as she soaked in the sensation and purred in content.

A slight shift of movement brought her awareness to the person whom she was sharing the bed with. Amber eyes opened further and drew in the sight of a sleeping Ruby Rose. The girl was snoring lightly and Blake couldn't help but smile contentedly at her, reaching out and looping her arm around the other teen.

The whole situation stirred a feeling of rightness within Blake and she so sorely wished to curl tightly into a ball and scream about how happy she was that her life was like this now. Instead, she felt her hands curl into fists as she tried to stave off the reaction before it passed and she settled down, pressing her nose into Ruby's hair and taking in the delicious scent of strawberries.

Sighing deeply, she felt her body waking, despite her wish to return to sleep. Feeling the flow of energy pushing through her groggy limbs, she released her arm from around Ruby, flopping back onto the mattress and huffing. A roll to the side and she let herself fall onto the ground with a grunt before slowly pushing herself up and stretching.

Glancing at Ruby again, she couldn't help but smirk. The other girl had apparently awoken when Blake got up and was staring with her large silver eyes. "Like what you see?" Blake asked, certain that the staring had to do with her stretching. She laughed when Ruby nodded dumbly. "What's the plan today?"

Ruby shrugged. "Maybe we could see if Yang and Weiss wanna do some stuff as a team." A yawn forced Ruby to stop before she sat up. "Maybe head into the Emerald Forest and kill some Grimm. It's been awhile since we've done any practical exercise."

Blake nodded, stifling a yawn of her own. "That sounds good. I'll grab our weapons, while you ask them. I'll meet you three at breakfast after I drop the weapons off here." Changing into her regular wardrobe, she left the room after giving a quick kiss to Ruby.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Blake's hand slapped over her face as she grimaced. Everything had gone fine until this point. She had grabbed the team's weapons and dropped them off, and that was easy enough. She started on her way to the cafeteria and was greeted by students fleeing. Tossing the door open had greeted her with the sight of Team JNPR and her own teammates throwing food at one another.

She didn't even get a chance to scold them before a pie impacted her face, knocking her to the floor. Well, if Ruby hadn't caught her in a shower of petals. The small leader helped her stand before pointing dramatically at Nora. "Justice will be swift! IT WILL BE… DELICIOUS!"

Ruby sped off, causing Blake to stagger. She steadied herself, only to find the fight had renewed with even more vigor than before. Sighing to herself, she sat at one of the tables, watching as Nora launched Yang to the stratosphere with Melonhild before fending off Weiss and Myrtunaster.

Blake jolted when Ren sat next to her before nodding, happy that somebody else found this a bit much. The two quiet members of each team resigned to watch the others go at it. Blake did have to admit that it was interesting to see Ruby hold her own without anything to replicate Crescent Rose.

Ruby danced around the other five, skidding over tables on board a tray, peppering JNPR with crescents, rose petals the only trail to speak of. Yang eventually landed, rejoining the fray beside Weiss, evening the odds once more. Yang's Ember Delicacy holding off Nora, while Weiss parried attacks from the bread sabers that Pyrrha wielded.

Looking unsure, Jaune was trying in vain to knock aside the various crescent rolls being chucked at him. He tried to return fire with soda cans, but Ruby's semblance stumped him, all attempts being wide misses that had no hope of catching the caped girl. Ruby soon knocked him out with a bunch of the stale rolls to the head.

Blake watched as the tide of the battle shifted into RWBY's favor as Ruby helped overwhelm Pyrrha and Nora, the two being defeated soon after. Her team was victorious and proud of it, despite the three being covered by food. Weiss was the first to notice, shrieking indignantly when Yang licked a splotch of pudding from the proper girl's cheek.

After Glynda arrived, cleaning the room and scolding the six involved, the two teams parted ways. Ruby relayed her plan to Yang and Weiss, who seemed interested in an outing to the forest… after they cleaned themselves. Blake didn't complain about that. She got about a half hour of uninterrupted reading.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The four girls walked into the courtyard, fully intending to head off to Emerald Forest, but that plan was ruined by the sudden appearance of the monkey Faunus from before. He snapped a wave, grinning. "Sup! I didn't really know anyone to tell, so I thought I'd talk to you four."

Weiss turned her nose up, looking at him haughtily. "And why should we listen to you?"

Sun shrugged. "Because there might be a robbery at the docks."

That caught Blake's interest. "How do you know?"

"I hear things on the streets. Seems like a big haul of dust is being shipped and there's talk of someone trying to hijack the shipment." He shrugged. "Besides, it gives me an excuse to talk to you lovely ladies."

All four replied in unison, "We're taken."

Sun shrugged. "That's cool. Now, you gonna help?"

 **End…**

The focal point for the chapter has to do with the thing with wanting to curl in on yourself. There some others, but I chose that. I might use the others later. Sorry for the long wait and I hope you liked that chapter. Adieu for now!


	14. Chapter 14

Yo Peeps, GMG back with yet another chapter. My internet has cut off, so that's fun. Not writing this on my phone. I'd rather not go back to that way. A little loop hole is allowing me use of a limited network, so I should be able to post this… without having to send it to my tablet and upload it from there. I thought up another idea that may end up as a oneshot for my Ladybug compilation, since I don't exactly want to try and squeeze a lemon into this at the moment. Let me know if you'd prefer me to wait and write it for this story later or if you'd like me to just type it out and post it on WBR.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Team RWBY, plus Sun, made their way to the docks. The monkey Faunus tried in vain to flirt with each of the four girls, getting turned down swiftly. After a few more comments and a bit of observance, he caught. "So," he started. "I'm guessing that Blondie is banging miss Frostbite over there and that Shorty is with the Kitty Cat. Am I right?"

Weiss shrieked. "How dare you!" She jabbed a finger at him. "What right do you have to refer to our relationship in such a crude manner?"

"Sheesh, it was just a guess," he replied. "No need to get so uptight about it." He smirked mischievously. "Unless that's what makes blondie hot and bothered." He would've made another comment. Truly, he wanted to! A swift blow to the back of his head sent him sprawling on the pavement and he groaned in pain.

"Blondie" laughed at his fall before giving Weiss a quick peck to calm her down. "Don't let him get to you, Ice Queen. Besides, we still got some bad guys to whoop."

The soft pull of Blake's voice joined. "That's assuming that Sun's information is sound." The cat Faunus draped her arm over Ruby's shoulder and kissed the young leader on the cheek, causing Ruby's cheeks to burn red.

Pushing himself up, Sun pouted. "I swear I'm telling the truth." He fixed his shirt, despite it not covering much in the first place. After he dusted it off, he continued walking… right into another person.

It seemed the person was ready, because she didn't fall, instead immediately greeting them with, "Salutations!"

Ruby cocked her head in confusion. "Penny? What are you doing here?" She asked.

The android grinned. "I heard that you were heading towards the docks, so I thought I would see if I could join you."

Yang shook her head. "That's not the best idea, Penny. We're kind of expecting a fight."

"No worries, friend Yang," said Penny, placing her hands on her hips and striking a slight pose. "I'm combat ready."

"That eases my worries," monotoned Weiss. "Just what we need; another trigger happy moron on this already dysfunctional team."

A smile lit up Yang's face as she leaned against the girl. "But I'm your trigger happy moron, Weiss."

Weiss shuddered. "Don't remind me."

Before any more complaints were issued, Ruby shouted, "Onwards!"

And so they went.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

As the bullhead landed at the docks, Blake's expression fell as the door opened and figures walked out. The beastly motif caused her to growl. The White Fang was robbing the docks and they were helping none other than Roman Torchwick, a Human. Her team tried to stop her as she dropped off the crate they had been hiding atop, but they were too late as she ran forward, masking her presence with the other crates.

In a matter of moments, she stood behind him, Gambol Shroud's katana resting across his neck. She used her free hand to remove her bow, causing the approaching White Fang to falter at the sight of her Faunus features. "Brothers of the White Fang," she yelled. "Why are you aiding this scum?!"

Rolling his eyes, Roman replied. "Didn't you hear? The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture."

Growling at him, she pushed the blade against his throat tighter. "Then I'll end your little venture right now!"

"I wouldn't exactly call it little," he said, right as another bulkhead came into view. Using the distraction of her looking up, he blasted at her feet with Melodic Cudgel, sending her flying.

Apparently, that was the wrong move as the rest of Team RWBY suddenly appeared, followed by Sun and Penny. Roman cursed under his breath as he engaged the monkey Faunus. What started as a bo staff that Roman could keep up with and block with some ease, soon evolved into a chaotic dance of nunchucks, firing shot gun shells in a flurry of motion.

As soon as opening was provided, he knocked the annoying primate aside, only for another barrage of shot gun rounds. His vision was soon flooded with a blonde mane of hair as Yang danced around him with her own attacks. "What's with all the blondes attacking me today?" he asked.

"Would you rather face your fellow gingers?" She countered, blocking a strike at her midsection.

He glanced at Ruby, who was twirling around like a madwoman, felling one White Fang member after the other, dropping countless numbers of them in mere moments. His gaze then shifted to Penny, who was no less efficient. More efficient, in fact, having pulled one of the bulkheads to the ground. Looking back at Yang, he shrugged. "Point taken."

A blast of wind caused both fighters to pause before Roman disengaged, tipping his hat to the brawler. "While I'd love to stay and chat," He gestured to the craft behind him. "I really must be going!" Even as Yang gave chase, Roman hopped onto his ride, flying away.

Team RWBY and their two friends subdued the remaining Fang members, Penny tying them up with some spare cord she had. Soon after, the Vale Police arrived in force and apprehended the Faunus terrorists.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Penny absent, the other five had sat on some crates and were talking. Weiss gave a begrudging thanks to Sun, telling him that his information was invaluable. When he tried to hug her, though, he got double tapped. Once by Weiss and the second from Yang.

Sun left them after a while, saying that he'd see them in the tournament. He had a team, apparently, but he had wanted to mess with some people and played stow away. Weiss watched him leave before sighing. "So, maybe he's not such a rapscallion."

Nodding, Yang spoke, "Well, first impressions aren't always accurate." She nudged Weiss, directing her gaze to Blake.

The heiress cleared her throat. "Right. Blake," she started, getting the Faunus' attention. "I apologize about the whole thing with the White Fang. I can see you really aren't a part of them anymore." She blushed, struggling with her pride for the next part. "For… forgive me?"

Amber eyes rolled playfully. "Of course, Weiss." Holding out her hand, she smiled. "Friends?"

After a brief moment, the two girls shook hands.

 **End…**

All's well that ends well. I did want to resolve that issue. Now we've reached the end of Volume 1 with that. Next up is starting from Volume 2, although I can't exactly start with the food fight… So, I have a joke for all of y'all and then I'll explain the idea that's been occupying my thoughts for a possible chapter.

Joke: Kuro and Shiro: Two students attending Beacon with the last name Ma-jik. If you get the joke, I'll compile a list of names in the next chapter. I'll also explain it then.

Idea: … (dramatic voice) **A glimpse into the mind of yours truly…** XD Honestly, Blake and Ruby wearing some thigh high black stockings and, to quote Guardians of the Galaxy "Pelvic Sorcery"… Yeah. It's one of those things where it's kind of weird to explain and not sound like an idiot. I'll leave it at that, so HAVE AT YE!

Adieu for now!


	15. Chapter 15

Yo Peeps, GMG here with another chapter of PR. Giving some time to allow people to think the joke over was a waste. Only one attempt: tri92edge was the only one to attempt it. I did send it to Phoenix Commander before the chapter was uploaded and he got it, being the only one to get it. Kuro is black, Shiro is white, Magic. Black and White Magic. I digress, tho. Onwards to the chapter!

BUT WAIT! Ship Shape has hit 100k views! HUZZAH! Thanks to all those who read that story, I really appreciate the support.

 **READ** : In this chapter will be a section with a (1) before and after it. This was written by Phoenix Commander with only a few tiny changes. Big thanks to him for his help! Check out his works, should it suit you and his writing impresses you. *shrugs* I wanted this chapter to be really good. Also, timing explanation for this will be explained at end of chapter.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

For the sake of his life, Jaune noted to never get on Glynda Goodwitch's bad side. The woman's anger wasn't showing, but he could feel it. He could feel it and it scared him. Not even Grimm scared him as much as the blond professor. "What, Mr. Arc?"

Gulping, he replied, "Nora, ma'am. She started another food fight with Yang."

As this was said, someone fled from the cafeteria, arms flailing comically as he ran. Stopping in front of the two, he yelled, "NORA! IN THE CAFETERIA!..." he paused before his voice dropped drastically in volume. "I thought you ought to know." He collapsed in a faint and Jaune cringed when he felt a rise in Glynda's rage.

Her green eyes settled on the shaken teen. "Stay here, Mister Arc." With his rigid nod, she stalked towards the cafeteria, an ominous air settling around her as she disappeared inside.

Through the door he could hear the sudden noises of Nora fighting defiantly, which was soon stopped. Then there was screaming. He tried to curl into a ball, whilst standing, at the sound, it grating at his ears.

What followed was quiet. For a moment, not a sound was heard before Glynda reemerged from the cafeteria. Walking past, she gave him a parting comment. "Thank you for letting me know, Mister Arc. Let me know if Miss Valkyrie attempts something out of line in the future."

He nodded quickly before heading towards the cafeteria. The sight that greeted him, shook him. Nora was huddled under a table, shivering uncontrollably.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

One day, while the students were bustling from one class to another, as with every day, it soon became apparent one major difference. All it took was one student to point it out before everyone at Beacon Academy knew; The Amity Colosseum was at Beacon. The large, conical arena floated in the sky above and served as a reminder of the upcoming tournament.

As Team RWBY sat in the courtyard, talking about the tournament, Weiss noticed an airship drifting towards the docks. Her teammates jumped slightly, when she stood up. "Winter!" Without explaining, she headed towards the docks.

Ruby and Blake glanced at Yang, who shrugged. She didn't understand what was going on any more than they. An unspoken agreement formed, they all followed after the heiress. When they caught up, she was talking to someone who looked just like her, if only a couple of years older. The elder Schnee held herself with more poise than Weiss, but didn't look exceedingly haughty, given that the mask broke long enough for them to see her genuine concern about her sister's wellbeing.

Approaching, Yang hooked an arm around Weiss. "Heya, Weissicle. Is this why you suddenly left us?" Looking at Winter, she nodded respectfully. "You must be her sister, if looks are anything to go by." Holding out a hand, she smiled. "I'm Yang Xiao Long!"

Winter took the hand and shook it. "Winter Schnee." Turning to look at Weiss, she frowned. "Do all your friends act this way with you?"

A red tinge entered Weiss' cheeks. "Well, she's not so much a friend as opposed to a girlfriend."

"I see," Winter started. "She makes you happy?" Weiss nodded. "Then I won't bring this up with father. We both know how he'd take it." Both grimaced. She caught sight of the other two girls, hands clasped together. "Is it safe to assume that those two are your teammates, Weiss?"

Weiss nodded. "They are. Ruby is the one wearing the white cloak. Blake is the one with the bow." Motioning at Ruby, she continued. "Ruby is team leader of RWBY."

Ruby smiled brightly at Winter. "It's nice to meet you."

Returning a polite smile, Winter replied, "A pleasure. Now, I need to report in, Weiss. Any catching up must wait until after that."

Looking a bit disappointed, Weiss nodded her understanding. "Very well, Winter. I'll see you then."

A ripping sound pulled their attention and they all turned to see a ragged looking man standing next to a headless version of an AK-200. His hands held up, he smiled mockingly, looking a bit worse for wear. "Oops."

Three voices spoke, "Qrow." Two were happy, while the third was growled out in annoyance.

Weiss was surprised when he addressed Winter. "Hey, Ice Queen. Miss me?" His mischievous grin widened when he looked over at Yang and Ruby. "How are you, brats? Rope in a Schnee, Yang?"

Yang shrugged, while grinning, while Ruby embraced her uncle. "Did you miss me Uncle Qrow?"

Ruffling her hair playfully, he smirked. "Nope." His eyes rose to Blake. "Is Yang not the only one to have caught a fine lady?"

Laughing, the brawler answered, "Ruby was laying on the moves without even realizing it. She's a natural."

He chuckled before pushing Ruby away. "Alright kiddo, that's enough. Winter's been wanting to try and kick my ass for the last few minutes, but she's too proper to do it while you're hugging me."

Scoffing, Winter looked at him. "Really, Qrow? 'Try'?"

"Well, saying that you wanted to kick my ass would imply that you would succeed." He grinned. "Not gonna happen in a million years, Ice Queen."

Team RWBY backed off as the two stared each other down. Right as both pulled their weapons.

( **1** )Qrow pulled his scythe, keeping it compact, and fired off three quick shots at the Atlesian huntress. Without a single hesitation Winter moved her rapier, the blade connected with each bullet deflecting them. "It will take more than a few bullets to stop me, Qrow!" She shouted, before her blade turned white and six Nevermore-shaped ice blasts launched toward him.

' _She tried this last time too_ ,' Qrow thought, as he sidestepped two of the projectiles and quickly shot the others before they could reach him. "How about you try something I haven't seen before?" He taunted, before sprinting and then leaping onto a stone arch nearby. Quickly looking back at his opponent, Qrow saw three more ice blasts. He calmly dispatched them as the others before it. As he moved to reload his spent weapon, Winter made her move.

The alabaster haired woman launched herself into the air using one of her glyphs, gaining a height advantage over the grey clad hunter. "Now I have you!" She shouted as she brought her blade down. There was a loud clash of steel as the two weapons met, Qrow having yet to fully extend his scythe, but the folded blade proved to be adept at keeping Winter's quicker rapier at bay, even in close quarters. Readjusting, the huntress sent a vicious slash to Qrow's neck only to have his scythe redirect it at the last minute.

"Careful, Ice Queen, you could really hurt someone attacking like that," The seasoned hunter said, ducking under the deflected strike and sweeping Winter's feet from under her, knocking her from the arch. "Namely yourself," He finished, following his now prone adversary to the ground. As he started to approach, Qrow had to dive quickly to avoid another attack as a quick blast of flame hurtled towards him.

"How is that for something you haven't seen before." Winter mocked as she found her feet and placed blade against, Qrow's back.

"Not too bad, except one thing..." Qrow started, before dissolving in a cloud of black feathers. "I'm not in front of you." There was another sound of shifting steel as Winter fond the curved blade of a scythe against her throat, with her adversary behind her. "Yield, Winter. This is your one chance."( **1** )

A deep voice cut in before Winter could reply. "That'll be enough, you two." The familiar click clack of a cane pulled everyone's attention to Ozpin, who didn't look at all bothered by a full blown fight happening in the courtyard. "Although I'm sure you've no doubt entertained every student here with such a display, there is business we must discuss."

Qrow sighed, looking disappointed. "Ruin all my fun, why don't ya." Pulling out a flask, he took a swig before placing his weapon away. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he slouched forward and walked over to Ozpin. Behind him, Winter had composed herself and caught up, following them as they left, giving a parting wave to Weiss as she went.

End... regards to the arrival of Winter and Qrow, nothing else will change in regards to the timeline. Still gonna do all the stuff, aside from actually writing out another food fight. Just wanted the characters present and to have the arena ahead of time as a reason for them to show up. As it stands, the discussion (which will be mentioned again) is nothing more than security, because there hasn't been the shit storm that is James Ironwood.

 **NEXT TIME;** Roman mech fight and possible battle applications for Ruby's semblance.

Adieu for now!

 **Edit:** Due to some error or another, the first attempt came out as HTML code. Thanks to the following for pointing it out: Phoenix Commander, Phoenix Champion, knight7572, manticore-gurl071134, The Muses Instrument, bankertx01, Madam Iris Heart, Raisuke The Lightning Herald, Vilnious, and solitare. Thank you all for your immediate response to this mistake and helping me fix it asap.


	16. Chapter 16

Yo Peeps, GMG with chapter 16. Another story to the list of those passing 15 chapters and 20K words. I won't really say much, except to thank those who pointed out the html error from last chapter. Thanks again and ONWARDS TO THE CHAPTER!

 **Any poll suggestions?**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

It was astonishing, really, how quickly Team RWBY figured out something was up with Blake. Ruby had noticed almost immediately, but Weiss and Yang were quick to catch on. She seemed to be more off and withdrawn. Her antisocial personality went borderline isolationist and it showed. Ruby noticed more and more that Blake was spending less and less time with her.

This was just not acceptable.

Increased visits to the library, saw the cat Faunus stooped over holo-screens, studying something. As days passed, they turned into a handful of weeks and the effects became apparent. Blake had suffered physically from lack of sleep, with permanent bags under her eyes and her slouching posture that seemed to worsen as she progressed.

Even when Ruby managed to get her to bed, Blake couldn't sleep. With each passing moment, the team's concern grew. Thus, when she returned with them from the library, Yang locked the door behind them and cut off any escape as Weiss and Ruby turned on the tired girl.

Seeing the accusing looks on their faces, she sighed and groaned in irritation. "What?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you tell us? You've been quiet and antisocial, which is your 'thing' and I understand that, but insomnia isn't and it's affecting you."

Huffing, Blake glared. "And what do you understand? You don't know what I'm going through!"

"You're right, I don't," Weiss ceded. "None of us do and we won't if you refuse to tell us what is troubling you. We may not exactly be friends, but I'm still your teammate and we're supposed to look after each other."

As Blake prepared to snap at Weiss, she saw the look on Ruby's face and felt her resolve crumble at the sad look on her face. "Please, Blake," said the cloaked girl. "Tell us what's wrong."

Yang's hand settled on her shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise as she looked at the brawler. "Trust us, Blake. We only want to help."

Shrugging the hand off, Blake visibly drooped before she uncharacteristically plopped down on the ground, placing her face in her hands. "All of this! Torchwick, the White Fang, and everything else that's trying to tear our lives apart!" She felt Ruby's arms slip around her in a warm embrace as she trembled. "We told Ozpin about it and he's not doing anything to help. The police aren't, the Hunters and Huntresses aren't either, and who's gonna do it?"

"What are we supposed to do?" Weiss asked. "It's not as if we're any more qualified. We're children. We're. Not. Ready."

"And we may never be ready!" Blake fired back. "Do you honestly think they're just going to wait around for us to get stronger. We need to act now, Weiss. If no one else will, then someone has to at least try."

Ruby looked from her girlfriend to her white-haired teammate and spoke. "It's not a bad idea, Weiss. And it's not like we'll be alone. There's four of us and we're the best team ever!"

Yang grinned behind the two. "Two for, one against kicking some baddie behind." Smiling apologetically at Weiss, she pat Ruby's head. "Now it's three to one. I'm in too."

"If we die because of this, I will personally make your afterlives torture." Weiss shook her head. "Alright. If we're going to do this, we'll need to start planning." Looking at Blake, she glared. "After we get some sleep," she said pointedly.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The next day saw the four girls switching into new outfits and discussing their plan. The first step would be to gather information. Weiss and Ruby would be heading to the CCT Tower to gather any information that the Schnee dust company might have. Meanwhile, Yang and Blake would be going to two separate sources on their own. Blake would infiltrate a White Fang meeting, while Yang spoke to a "friend" of hers.

With a plan formed, they were ready to go, only for the sudden appearance of Sun. The Faunus waved, smiling cheekily. "Gonna take the fight to Torchwick, ladies?"

Blake narrowed her eyes and replied. "The four of us, yes."

"We don't want to get our friends involved, Sun," Ruby said.

Sun snorted in amusement. "You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune." Jerking a thumb out the window, the four girls walked over and peered outside, to see Sun's friend pressed against the wall, with a precarious foothold at best.

He waved at them. "Ladies." Glancing down, he smiled shakily. "Can I come in? As much as I enjoy the view, I prefer the ground to be a bit more stable."

When Neptune was stood inside the room, Sun grinned. "So we can join?"

Weiss glared at the two. "Why should we let these two come with us? I thought we weren't letting our friends get involved."

Thinking for a moment, Ruby replied. "If Yang and Blake are gonna be going their ways alone, then they could use the support."

Neptune gave her thumbs up, before sending a smile to Weiss. "What she said, Snow Flake. Strength in numbers." He yelped in pain when Yang punched his arm. Hard.

"Don't hit on my girl, Water Boy." Yang spoke. Behind her, Sun was snickering at the name. If only she knew.

Sun, it was decided, would go with Blake, while Neptune went with Yang.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"Penny?!"

The android had to resist the urge to cringe when she heard her name called. Friend Ruby was calling for her and she was told not to talk to her. Taking a detour, she went down a flight of stairs, picking up her pace as she went.

Behind her was the sound of fabric slipping over metal. Ruby had ridden down the rail, landing in front of Penny, silver eyes looking into Penny's emerald orbs. "We haven't seen you in weeks, Penny. Where were you?"

A hiccup burst from Penny, as she tried to move around the other girl. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I need to go."

She went to move away, but Ruby caught her arm and swung her around. "What's wrong Penny? I thought we were friends."

Penny looked around before nodding, more to herself than for Ruby. "It's not safe to talk here."

"Lead the way, then," Ruby quipped, following after the girl.

Back at the CCT, Weiss groaned at her teammate running off before heading into the tower and entering the elevator.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Of all the things he was expecting that day, Junior didn't expect Yang to bust into his bar once again. He watched his men all train their weapons on her, causing the blonde to growl. "Don't shoot!" He called. Walking over, he waved his men aside. "Blondie, you're here… why?"

"I need information about Roman Torchwick and anything you might have on the White Fang." She shrugged. "Plus, you still owe me that drink."

He sighed before directing her and Neptune to the bar, before going about preparing her drink. Once he handed it to her, he explained what he knew, or better, what he didn't know. "I don't have much on him, Blondie. He came in, paid for a couple men, then left. Never heard back from them, so he wasn't too happy with them probably." He gestured to his thugs, who were milling about listlessly. "Something I can understand."

"So, where did they go?" Neptune asked.

Junior looked at Yang for a moment. "He's new to this, ain't he?" At her nod, he sighed. "They never came back! What do you think?"

Neptune wisely kept his mouth shut before Yang dragged him out of the club.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Blake cursed whatever deities existed as Roman caught sight of her and Sun after his speech and showing off the Paladin. "He can see us," Sun whispered.

Looking around, she saw the electric box resting on one of the walls and smiled. "He can't see the dark," she quipped as she fired a round into the metal cover. The lights went dark.

"GET THEM!"

 **End…**

Sorry for the cliffhanger, though we all know what's next. On top of this, an apology for basically filler, but *shrugs* it was somewhat needed. I'mma put up a new poll for whatever, once I think of it. The final results for the first joke poll:

38 votes (45%) for Adorkable Fluff

18 votes (21%) for Hardcore Smut

28 votes (33%) for Both

Don't know where the last percent is XD… Also, the 8 ending each vote is purely coincidence.

Got a funny review yelling at me about lemons for this story, which reminded me of the poll. To clear it up, I write what I feel right now, and I'm not _feeling_ a lemon being necessary. Funny situations aside, there is no guarantee of adult actvities just yet.

Adieu for now!


	17. Chapter 17

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 17. Got a new document processor on my computer, which means I'm not entirely wifi dependent to write the chapters. It'll take some getting used to, but it's interesting.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

"HEEEELLLLLLLLLLP!"

Blake grimaced at Sun's loud yell, inwardly feeling a bit sorry for her teammates on the other side of the call. In a more level voice, she spoke. "We need back up."

Beside her, Sun was looking back at the Paladin chasing them through the streets. "They've got a robot and it's big! Really big!"

On her side of the call, Ruby grinned. "Oh, I am not missing this."

"That Torchwick guy's in it," he continued. "But not like, it didn't eat him. He's, like, controlling it or something."

Yang, with Neptune, on her motorcycle stared at the scroll. "Where are you guys?!" This was immediately answered when the ground shook and a loud commotion came from the street behind them. Turning to look, they saw Blake and Sun run by with the Paladin on their heels.

"I think that was them," Neptune pointed out.

"Yeah, I got it," Yang replied before peeling off after them, tires screeching against the asphalt.

For Blake and Sun, the Paladin was right on there heels and gaining on them. With a spike of quick thinking, Blake leaped off to the side and onto the highway below, Sun right behind her.

It was when Torchwick followed, that she realized it might not have been the best idea. As they leaped from car to car, leaving people relatively undisturbed, Roman plowed through the various vehicles. She hoped no one was injured to greatly.

Which didn't help Yang any, as she had to drive and dodge frantically out of the paths of the thrown cars. When the worst of it passed, a few shots from Neptune caused the Paladin to stumble before he jumped forward in a lunging stab. Soon after, solid manifestations of Sun impacted the robot before Sun tried to join the fray.

In his attempt, however, Roman managed to shake off Neptune, who flew right into his partner, sending both careening off the highway.

Blake shook her head at the sight before Weiss' voice came over her scroll. "I'm in position!" Above, she saw a white blur fall and watched as Weiss landed behind her before diving off the side of the highway.

Roman grinned at the sight of the girl standing in the path of oncoming traffic, not even concerned as she raised her sword. As he closed in, it stabbed into the ground, producing a sheet of ice beneath her before she too fled. Unable to stop, he stumbled onto the ice before slipping and tumbling into a barrier before going through it and falling.

Ruby watched as it landed before her as her team too landed, though much more planned. As the Paladin stood, Roman chuckled at the sight. He could finally rid himself of the thorn in his side that was Red.

"Freezerburn," came Ruby's voice and, with it, Yang and Weiss shot into action; the heiress making another sheet of ice while Yang leapt above her. As Yang landed, she slammed her fist into the ice, her semblance superheating it and vaporizing it into steam, clouding Roman's vision.

The girls darted about in the cover, Roman unable to find them and any shots he took missed. Suddenly, Ruby fired out of the smokescreen and slammed into him. Taking a swipe at her, he grinned when he saw it connect. The smile soon turned to a frown as it phased through her.

She landed with a stumble, not expecting to have phased at that moment, and fell. Roman fired at her, startling her into action as she regained her footing. She was a bit too slow on the uptake, and a few more rounds were true, only to pass through her. Scarmbling away, she yelled, "Checkmate!"

Blake and Weiss zipped past her and started attacking the Paladin, drawing Torchwick's attention enough for Ruby to correct her balance. They connected a few hits, which were largely superficial before Weiss had to pull Blake away from danger with a glyph.

As they retreated, a barrage of missiles launched from the large robot's back , intent on the duo. Another glyph gave them the sudden momentum needed to dodge the projectiles and the started leaping back. Noticing there straight path, Roman lined up a shot and blasted Weiss back.

Flying backwards, she managed to correct herself and fire off a glyph. Blake saw it end point and rolled forward to land where it struck. Just in time, as another barrage was fired off.

Ruby stared in awe as Blake's movement speed was increased dramatically and the swipes she took with Gambol Shroud were forming into blade beams that sliced through the oncoming assault, the flurry of blows destroying the rounds.

Torchwick took it in stride, waiting for the effects to wear off before he fired another missile with a smirk. Ruby's eyes went wide as she sprinted forward, slamming away Blake in a tackle as the missile impacted where she stood.

Everyone paused as the explosion occurred, Blake fearing the worst as she stood. Meanwhile Roman was cackling. "Finally! The pest in my side has been killed." Looking at the girls he laughed again. "It's a shame that Red had to die, but don't worry," he started cheerfully. His voice dropped into a dark tone. "You'll be joining her soon."

Blake jumped in suprise as a voice called out. "Ladybug!" She saw Ruby jump out of the smoke, unscathed, before catching on and running after.

They hacked away at Roman as he kept swatting at them. "Why won't you die, Red? " He fired at them, only to miss again as they settled into position on either side of him. They took a few more swipes at him before leaping up and out of range from him. Not seeing them around him, Torchwick turned his eyes up and saw them dropping in. With not time to react, the landed a hit and sheared off the mech's left arm.

Reeling from the attack, he was suprised by the sudden impact of Yang landing on the mech. Latching on, the brawler started repeatedly slamming him with punishing blows from Ember Celica before getting knocked off of him and up into the air. Blake and Weiss looked on in concern as Torchick slammed a punch into the free falling blonde and firing her through a concrete pillar.

"Yang," Blake called, worried that the blonde was down for the count.

"Don't worry," Ruby said from beside her. "With each hit, she gets stronger and she uses that energy to fight back!"

So that was the blonde's semblance, Weiss thought. She watched as her girlfriend stood, facing off against the giant form of the Paladin. Inside it, Roman grinned as he tried again to punch the blonde and put her down for good. Yang caught it, a loud impact sounding as she did. Looking up at the Palading, she brought back a fist before slamming it into the arm, tearing it to pieces.

Not wanting to take another hit like that, he kicked her away, groaning as he heard Red yelling. "Bumbleby!"

Blake turned on her heel, launching Gambol Shroud at Yang with a blast of gunfire, the Yang catching it, pulling it taut as she was forced into an orbit around Blake. Using Ember Celica, she speed up the spin and attempted to slam Roman, but he pulled back just in time. The Paladin was too quick.

"We need to slow it down," Ruby told Weiss.

"How do you suppose we do that?" The heiress asked.

A grin answered as Ruby spoke. "Ice Flower!" Whipping Crescent rose around, she slammed the blade into the ground as she lined up a shot. Meanwhile Weiss set up the necessary glyphs to augment the shot. Ruby's first instinct was to fire multiple shots but something told her not to.

In an instant, a singular icy blast erupted forward, surging at the Paladin at incredible speed. Roman braced the mech for impact only for a cold feeling to take him by surprise as he was blasted out the back of the suit and sent tumbling. He recovered quickly and rolled up and onto his feet, Melodic Cudgel in hand and dusted off his jacket. "I just got this cleaned." Looking around, he noticed Yang glaring at him before a round was fired at him.

He grinned as he heard the flutter above him before the clack of heels was heard in front of him with a woosh of movement as Neo appeared with her parasol open and shielding him from the blast.

Snapping a salute at them, he smirked. "Ladies, Ice Queen," He spoke, getting an indignant "Hey!" from Weiss. "Always a pleasure." Looking at his partner. "Neo, if you would."

The short girl nodded before bowing politely to the other girls. The casual indifference pissed off Yang and she ran forward, yelling as she slammed a punch into the other girl's face, only for it to shatter. Along with the rest of her body. Roman too shattered, leaving Yang growling as she looked up to see them flying away in a bullhead.

Torchwick had escaped a second time.

 **End...**

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Kept some things the same and other's were changed. The particular quote from Sun was entirel necessary and I wouldn't accept anything but the real quote there. It's too funny. If the fight scene sucked, sorry. *shrugs* I actually have no idea the word count of this one, so if it's longer than normal, then it was due to me not knowing and formatting it as such.

I figured out my what I wanted my new poll to be for! And it's not a joke. **READ THIS:** For people reading this story it's important. As we get closer and closer to Vol. 3's events, a certain character will be showing up and I figured it'd be wise to pose the question ahead of time as to whether or not she should join Blake and Ruby. Who? May Zedong. I'll let you decide via votes, poll being put up as soon as possible after the chapter is up.

As for why May, in my head, she's very similar to the two. The baggy jacket kind of makes her look a bit shy and unsure of herself and she would look extremely cute in the adorkable awkward way that Ruby does. If she's shy, she's not exactly social, which is something shared by Ruby and Blake, though Ruby's more outgoing with friends. Etc.

Adieu for now!


	18. Chapter 18

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 18. A review error is making it impossible for me to click the reply link to contact some of you. If you suddenly get a PM with 'Review Reply' then it's about your most recent review on PR or my other stories. Don't have much to add, so I'll get to it.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**_

The incident with Roman over, the girl's had contacted Beacon about the remains of the Paladin before returning to the school. Ozpin, fortunately, didn't ask too many questions, even going to suggest that the attack was a coincidence. Winter was sent out with some others of Atlas' forces to collect the scrapped machinery, James Ironwood, leader of Atlas' military, pleased to recover a partially intact Paladin that was stolen. Proof that someone was interfering with transport of the large mechs.

Reaching the air station was pretty uneventful. When they arrived, Weiss waved them on, saying that she needed to have a 'talk' with Yang. The frown on her face as she dragged Yang away had the blonde grimacing, knowing that the Ice Queen wasn't at all happy with her.

Before Ruby could ask them about it, Blake twined their hands and pulled her onto the ship. The sudden motion caused Ruby to stumble and it was quite the funny sight to see her correct herself, one hand still in Blake's. The Faunus laughed at the sight, helping the girl and pulling her close, giving her a quick peck on the lips before she resumed walking.

A beet red Ruby followed, a dopey smile on her face. Now, some people knew for certain that Blake was hers and vice versa. Ignoring some of the stares, she skipped behind Blake, beaming.

That evening, saw the two in their shared bed. Ruby was surprised when Blake sat her down, and locked her in place with a stare. Not the friendly kind either. Whatever she expected, it wasn't Blake tearing up and pulling Ruby against her. She froze for a moment before wrapping her arms around the faunus, holding her.

"You idiot," Blake whispered. "You could've died. You and I both know you can't control the semblance." Taking a breath, she continued, "Oum's sake, everyone knows you can't. What were you thinking, hitting me aside?"

She felt bad. Blake was sad and it was her fault. "I was trying to save you." Her hands clenched behind Blake's back. "I... I just wanted to..." She struggled to find the words. Pulling back, she looked at the faunus. It hit her, the reason why. "Blake, I love you."

Golden eyes shot up to look at her. "What?"

Ruby booped Blake on the nose and smiled. "I. Love. You. That's why I tried to save you."

Wiping her tears away, Blake giggled before hugging Ruby again. "I love you too." She surprised Ruby when her chest rumbled in the all too familiar sound of a cat's purr.

Laughter erupted from Ruby's throat when Blake's happiness turned more playful and she snuggled against the cloak wearing girl. The behavior truly was catlike and it was so cute. Their giggles permeated the air as the wrestled playfully on the bed.

A while later saw them calm down, change into their night clothes and retire to bed, wide smiles plastered on their faces as they fell asleep.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"You're not seriously suggesting we ignore this, Ozpin," a voice said. It belonged to James Ironwood. The strict looking man giving a hard stare at the Headmaster of Beacon. "Someone stole one of our Paladins and your suggesting we leave it be."

"I'm not saying to let it go, James," Ozpin countered. "At this point, we know only know of the person who is taking blame for these crimes. Torchwick is working for someone and to lure them out, we may need the patience to wait for their reveal." Cue a sip from his mug. "If we reveal our hand too soon, it may end poorly."

James frowned, but nodded. "Very well. If this takes a turn for the worse, it'll be on your head, Ozpin."

The silver haired man nodded. "As it should be. Thank you for trusting me on this, James."

"Sir," Winter said from the side. "If I may?"

Ironwood nodded. "Granted."

She looked at Ozpin. "From what was reported, Team RWBY engaged the Paladin. There was a strange damage to the back of the cockpit. It was an outward blast, but no damage from the front seemed to validate it."

"Miss Rose is responsible for that one, I presume." Ozpin smiled into his cup as he took another sip. "It may be time to have someone help her with her semblance."

Winter looked at him confused. "I though her semblance was speed related."

Beside her, Qrow smirked. "Kiddo has two semblances, Winter. The one she knows how to use, the one I helped her with, was her incredible speed." Draining his flask, he coughed at the burn before he continued. "She also has the ability to become ethereal, like a ghost. Her control over it, to put it bluntly, sucks. From what Ozpin said, one student seems to be able to help her with it, even if they haven't realized it."

This intrigued James. "Who?"

Ozpin answered with a small smile. "None other than her significant other, Blake Belladonna."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

When morning came around, Weiss and Yang returned to the dorm to find Ruby and Blake reading together, smiling the entire while. The smile on Ruby's face was expected, the girl was fairly happy at all times. It was the wide ass smile on Blake's face that caught their attention.

Weiss turned to Yang to whisper, "You don't think they...?"

Brows furrowed, Yang growled. "They better not have."

Blake's bow twitched as she looked up. "We didn't."

"What's up?" Ruby mumbled, looking up. Catching sight of her sister, she waved. "You're back!" She got up and hugged Yang before pulling back and bouncing in place. "Yang, guess what."

Seeing her sister excited caused Yang to smile in amusement. "What, Ruby?"

"I told Blake I love her and she said she loves me too." The girl squealed. "It was all super romantic and stuff. We were talking about why I saved her last night and she was all upset and asking why and I was like 'I love you' and she was like 'I love you too' and we were super happy and it was awesome."

Yang pat Ruby on her head. "Calm down, Ruby." She pulled her sister into another hug. "I'm happy for you." Looking at Blake, she gave her a serious look. "I assume the big sister talk is unnecessary, but still, hurt her and I break you."

The Faunus nodded. "Understood."

"Cool." Yang set Ruby down. "Wanna go out for some pizza to celebrate?"

Weiss groaned as she saw three hands go up, knowing they voted so she couldn't argue. "Fine. We'll get pizza."

"BANZAI!"

 **End..**

 **.**

NOBODY EXPECTED ANOTHER CHAPTER SO SOON! NOBODY!

To help out a friend: check out **Twelve Hours, Twelve Days, Twelve Weeks, Twelve Months, Twelve Years** by Xyzantylzethyrioses. Fair warning, large intro AN, but chapters are long. It's structured well and it has good grammar. You might like it.

REMEMBER TO VOTE ON THE POLL!

Adieu for now!


	19. Chapter 19

Yo Peeps, GMG with chapter 19. The story is catching up to Ship Shape in terms of chapters. I'm sure everyone is excited for Monday, due to the character short for volume 4. The Hype Train is back in station. Last night saw a good response to the chapters from last few days. 20 emails last night and a handful of lovely reviews. XD

TIME FOR STUFF! ONWARDS!

 _ **Diclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Furious battles raged. Four nations locked in combat, using whatever advantages may come their way. This was Remnant: The Game and Team RWBY was locked in intense combat for the prize of being the ruler of Remnant. Being the first time for Blake and Weiss, Ruby and Yang teamed up with them forming two alliances. This was a battle of Ladybug and Freezerburn.

Off to the side sat Team JNPR, Jaune watching the game with interest. Lady Luck was not on Ladybug's side, he realized, if the wails of Ruby were any indicator. The draws by both Yang and Weiss and some crazy roll luck had thwarted the young leader's attempts to steam roll her sister.

"Sup losers." Sun's voice cut in, drawing the girls' attention. Behind him was Neptune. "Whatcha playing?"

Ruby brightened up at the question. "Remnant!"

Neptune quirked a brow. "In a library?" He glanced around. "Aren't libraries for reading?"

"Thank you!" Everyone turned to Ren who had yelled it.

Swatting at his friend, Sun laughed. "Ignore him, he's just being a nerd."

"Intellectual," corrected the blue haired boy. "So, ladies, plans for the dance?" He smiled flirtatiously.

The four looked at each other before turning to him and saying together, "Taken."

He drooped. "All of you?"

In response, Blake and Ruby lifted their joined hands, while Yang and Weiss did the same.

Sun snickered. "At least you girls have your dates all worked out."

Weiss nodded. "Also, due to CFVY leaving on mission, Yang and I are planning, so we have more time to do that."

Over with JNPR, Pyrrha glanced at Jaune at the mention of dates for the dance.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

After they left the library later, they returned to the dorm and placed the game away. Ruby had gone to grab her nightwear, when her scroll buzzed. Slipping it open, her eyes widened before tossing it to Blake. The girl was surprised at the sudden toss, but her cat-like reflexes allowed her to catch the device with no issue. Looking at the message, she nodded and placed her book aside.

"Something up?" Yang asked as the girls were making to leave.

Blake shrugged. "Ozpin wanted to see us for something."

"What did Ruby do this time?" Weiss added, frowning.

Ruby looked indignant. "I didn't do anything!" She paused, looking unsure. "I think."

"It could just be to check on her," Blake said. "She is unique in her situation of getting here two years earlier than normal."

The heiress nodded. "That makes sense too. Off you go."

With that, the couple exited the dorm and made their way to Ozpin's office. The trip was relatively quick, not many people around with the late hour and the ground floor office void of any professors. A quick ride in the elevator and they were soon in the office, being greeted by the headmaster's voice. "Ah, Miss Rose, thank you for coming."

Ruby smiled brightly, saluting childishly. "No problem, sir."

His bronze eyes turned to Blake. "And Miss Belladonna, thank you for accompanying her." When she only nodded her sighed. "You are wondering why I've called you here?" Both girls nodded. "A certain someone wanted to speak with you, Miss Rose, and given the topic of his conversation, you were needed as well Miss Belladonna."

"That formal speech must annoy you, Ozpin," said another voice, making Ruby bounce in excitement. Qrow got up from a chair off to the side of the room, taking a drink from his ever present flask. "Sup Kiddo?" He looked at Blake. "Mrs. Kiddo"

Blake blushed at the blatant comment. Ruby however, ran forward and hugged the man. "Uncle Qrow, I'm so happy to see you!"

Ruffling her hair, he pulled her off him and smirked. "Happy to see you too, Ruby." His smile dropped. "Ruby, I came here because you need more training." Seeing her expression falter, he continued. "Not in the sense that you aren't good enough for Beacon, but that you need to learn to control your other semblance."

From his desk, Ozpin spoke. "From Miss Belladonna's expression, she's wondering what her part is." At the Faunus' nod, he glanced at Qrow. "Qrow was wondering about the possibility of training Ruby and wanted to wait until there was possibly someone who had a special connection with Miss Rose."

"How often has Ruby phased through you, Blake?" Qrow asked suddenly.

Blake's eyes widened as she thought back. Going over the many instances in her head, she realized. "None."

"How often has she phased through things around you?"

"A handful of times," Blake replied. "Are you saying that I can help her control it?"

Ozpin nodded. "The possibility is there, Blake. That is why we called you here."

"That's enough for now, Oz." Qrow headed towards the elevator. "They have a grasp on the situation, which is good enough. I'll take them back to their dorm." He gestured for the girls to follow. "I'd like to check up on Yang as well."

Watching them leave, Ozpin's composure sagged and he sighed. "Hopefully she'll figure it out. With all that's going to happen, it will certainly be a boon for her."

 **XXXGMGXX**

Weiss and Blake watched with rapt attention at the sheer speed and control that Ruby, Yang, and Qrow seemed to possess as they played their game. Ruby was by far the fastest at pressing button sequences that had her character initiating flawless combo sequences and pressuring her opponent into defensive options.

Yang, having grown up with it, was able to react and played the defensive game flawlessly. Qrow, however had the speed and reaction time to destroy either one, if their complaints and whining were anything to go by.

The matches continued for an hour before Qrow bid them a goodnight, making sure to properly say goodbye to 'Mrs. Kiddo' and 'Mrs. Brat' in turn. Both girls blushed, though Weiss was more angry at the name, because she was in no way a brat. Before she could retort, the man was gone. He had learned enough from Winter to know when to avoid an angry Schnee. He wouldn't stop calling her that, because annoying the white haired sisters was amusing.

As he closed the door behind him, he grinned. "Good night, Kiddo."

 **End...**

Chapter 19 completed. Another filler chapter, but the dance is upcoming, so HUZZAH for that.

Remember to vote on the poll if you haven't.

Adieu for now!


	20. Chapter 20

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 20. Breaking down this barrier, which only one other of my fics has, is pretty cool. Also, about to surpass review count on BCB, so hype! Onwards!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

It was palpable, the sexual tension between Yang and Weiss. Ruby and Blake, who were acting as mediators contemplated leaving at multiple times, whilst the girls argued. The bickering reached peak once already, seeing the two rolling around on the ground, lips locked in a vicious battle for control.

Blake was embarrassed by the display, thankful that no random students were around to witness it. Meanwhile, Ruby was a bit queasy at the sight of her sister making out with one of her teammates.

And it started over doilies! DOILIES!.

Finally, Blake snapped and walked over, kicking the pair in their sides. "I would say get a room, but I'd rather not contemplate what you'd do in the dorm."

The couple groaned and stood, Yang smirking. "Oh, we go to a different room for such things. OW!" She grabbed the back of her head, Weiss having slapped her.

Face burning, the prim girl coughed awkwardly. "Let's just pretend she didn't say that, shall we?"

Ruby had her head in her hands and was groaning. "I really didn't need to know that, Yang."

A big grin crossed Yang's face. Teasing mode engaged. "So you and Blake haven't-"

"YANG STOP!" The girl cried. "Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup!"

Yang fell over laughing, both at her sister's reaction and the mortified face of Blake. She pat the Faunus on the shoulder, still wheezing from her laughter. "Just messing with you two. I know you wouldn't." She doubled over as Blake's fist impacted her gut. "Ooof! Yeah, I deserved that."

"Solve you own issues, then," Blake grumbled. She walked over and grabbed Ruby, leading her from the room.

As they walked through the halls, Ruby had her hood up, steaming about Yang's comments and refusing to make eye contact with Blake. The ravenette giggled at the childish behavior before bumping Ruby with her hip playfully. "Ignore her, Ruby. She's just being an annoying sister."

Ruby didn't reply, instead leaning against Blake. The two walked a bit further before settling down on a bench in one of the open areas around the school. Cargo boxes littered the field, a few wooden frames marking the beginnings of the set ups for the Vytal Festival's fair.

Leaning back, Blake took the time to enjoy the weather. Beside her, Ruby was leaned over, resting her head on Blake's lap. Her hood was down once more and Blake smiled affectionately at the girl, whose eyes were closed.

Ruby jumped a bit when fingers pulled through her hair before she realized it was Blake. Sighing slightly, she smiled at the feeling. "Shouldn't I be the one to pet you?"

A smooth chuckle caused her grin to widen. "I suppose," Blake replied. "But you're the one curled up on my lap, so..."

"Do you have a dress picked out for the dance?"

Blake hummed an affirmative. "Indeed. It wasn't too hard to find. Weiss and I went out to find ours a few days ago, figuring that Yang was likely to drag you off to find dresses for you two."

A groan answered her. "We're going this afternoon. She's making me get high heels." The shoes were mentioned with such contempt, that it was obvious the girl detested them. Ruby had stuck to flats and her combat boots, even going so far as to try and wear the boots with her uniform.

Weiss had put a stop to that quickly. The strict girl wasn't wanting her leader to wear her cloak, but to prevent the boots, she had begrudgingly allowed the girl to wear it. That it was Ruby's mother's cloak only served to help.

"I'll sneak some flats in for you," Blake said. "Maybe you can tolerate Yang dressing you up like a doll for one night?"

"It's not the dresses that are a pain," Ruby griped. "Even if you bring the flats, and I appreciate you doing so, I'll still have to walk around in different pair until Yang is satisfied with one pair or another."

Blake mulled it over. "Maybe I can see about her letting you wear flats."

Ruby's eyes snapped open and she looked up at the girl. "Did I ever say that I love you?"

Golden eyes shined with happiness, belying the small smile on her face. "Once or twice."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"You want her to wear what?"

"Flats, Yang." Blake was already annoyed. Yang was being frustrating about the subject. "She doesn't want to wear heels, Yang."

The blonde gasped. "But she'll look so pretty in them, Blake. I want her to look nice for the dance."

Blake let out a breath of air. "Yang, as her date, the one she's dressing to impress, I'm saying that I'd prefer she wear flats because it is what she wants." She prodded the brawler's shoulder. "Not sneakers, mind you, or her combat boots. Just find her something fancy that doesn't have heels."

"Fine," Yang grumbled. "You win."

The faunus smiled. "Good, now get going. Ruby's probably already at the air station, waiting."

Snapping a jaunty salute, Yang left.

Once the door closed, Blake glanced at Weiss. "How long do you think we have?"

The heiress thought it over. "A few hours most likely." She pulled out her books and spread a few pages over the desk. "Finally some time to study in quiet."

Blake nodded before relaxing on her bed with a book in hand. She could finally finish the book she was working through. After that, the only noises heard were breathing and the sound of paper moving every now and again.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

When the two returned, it was to the sight of their respective girls sleeping. Weiss was resting on her bed, hair down as per usual. Ruby snickered when she saw Blake passed out with a book laying open on her chest. Yang ruffled Ruby's hair before heading into the bathroom to change. Setting the dresses aside, Ruby looked back at Blake's sleeping form.

The scythe wielder tip toed over and carefully removed the book, marking the page and setting it aside. When Yang exited the bathroom, Ruby swapped places before returning to her bed and slipping in beside Blake.

After a few minutes, as she was soon about to doze off, she felt the other girl's arm loop over her and Blake pulling her close. Ruby 'eeped' lightly before relaxing and taking in the other girl's calming scent. Smiling, she drifted off, feeling safe.

 **End...**

Vote on poll, yeah? Hope you liked this chapter. Adieu for now!


	21. Chapter 21

Yo Peeps, GMG with chapter 21. Watched the character short today... SO MUCH HYPE. And their outfits... Ermerhgerd their pretty. Can't say much about Yang's, given hers is more casual due to her casualty... Loving Blake's and Weiss' especially. Ruby's is nice and now she's super ninja like and it's super cool. THAT SAID! Not changing much for this chapter.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

The door slammed shut with a resolute bang. Behind Weiss, Yang was snickering like mad. The heiress growled when another knock sounded from the door. "I promise not to sing anymore!"

Rolling her eyes at the pathetic boy's muffled voice, she opened the door to reveal Jaune, guitar still in hand. He grinned at her and strummed loudly. "I LIED!"

Jabbing her finger against his forehead, Weiss pushed him back, standing up on her tip toes to glare at him. "Do not continue." She jabbed him again. "I am already in a committed relationship and you attempts to pursue me not only offend me, but my girlfriend." She growled. "Now, leave me be."

Chuckling nervously, he nodded. Weiss was scary. Pulling at his collar, he swallowed. "So, who's the lucky girl?"

A laugh caused him to look over to where Yang was, waving. The blonde snickered. "What's up?"

He looked over to Ruby, but another growl stopped him. He looked over at Blake, whose eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Don't even think about it."

"Okay..." Jaune took a step back. "I'mma leave now..." He turned and the door shut behind him.

Why was nothing every easy for him?

 **XXXGMGXXX**

 _Days later..._

The night of the dance was upon Beacon and everyone had plans. Plans to chill with friends, plans to get down, plans to dance the night away... plans to take over Remnant. The latter to be handled later, the scene pans to the ball room.

Stood behind a podium, Yang was greeting people as they arrived, Weiss flitting around and handling any small issues. Doilies lay on every table and a light fog crawled over the floor, proof the two could compromise. Grinning at the memory and the heated encounter that followed that night, she hummed happily, greeting everyone on a similarly happy note. A smiling Yang in a dress was a lot less intimidating, many who knew her had decided.

A loud noise caused her to jump as the doors slammed open. In walked the large form of Yatsuhashi, looking out of place in a suit. He smiled apologetically, while waiting for his team to enter.

Fox had his hands stuffed in his pockets and slinked past Yang, mumbling a quick greeting before moving onwards. Following in his wake, Coco and Velvet walked in, arms linked. Coco smiled, nary a care for any stares directed their way, while Velvet's pink cheeks and her sudden interest in the floor made it obvious her timidity.

"Heya girls!" Yang greeted before glancing at Yatsuhashi who made sure he closed the door gently. "And guy." She hummed again. "I thought you four had a mission?"

Void of her normal beret and wearing a bare minimum of jewelry with her cream colored dress, Coco looked at Yang over the rim's of her glasses, not shades. "We did. It was rather taxing, but we got back last night and got some rest on the way back. Thought we'd see how you and Ice Queen handled planning." Glancing around, she nodded, pleased. "Pretty good, Blondie."

Yang gestured to the shy girl in her maroon dress, who was still on Coco's arm. "You and Velvet?"

Coco cocked a brow. "Problem?" This caused Velvet to look up and glance between them.

Her accented voice was soft. "Coco, you know Yang isn't like that. She's a friend."

Waving her off, Yang smirked. "Besides, my sister has an interesting catch all her own." The door opened and she looked over. "Speak of the devil."

Velvet turned her head to look and smiled. "Blake."

The cat Faunus nodded. "Velvet. I see we both have someone with us." Beside her, Ruby grinned and waved cheerfully.

"Cute couple," Coco quipped. "Shall we go and dance, Vel?"

Velvet nodded. "That sounds lovely."

As the two left, Ruby and Blake walked over. "Hey Sis! How's it going?"

Yang laughed. "Pretty well. Weiss is still fussing over stuff, but everyone's been having fun from what I've seen." Leaning over the podium, she stage whispered, "Cardin and company all got booted for harassing a faunus couple."

Blake's face twisted as if she ate something bitter. "They deserve being kicked. I hate his ignorant behavior and his team is no better."

Waving them past her, she glanced at the list before sighing. "Screw it." If Glynda got pissed, so be it. Walking back to the dance floor, she spotted Weiss, getting a drink. Trodding over, she looped her arm around the girl's slim waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Sup, Weissicle?"

"Not much, aside from almost having a heart attack." Weiss glared at Yang who smiled, not at all phased by the heated stare. "Shouldn't you be greeting people?"

Yang shrugged. "I am greeting. My girlfriend, so that I can introduce her to the dance floor."

One prim eyebrow rose. "Is that some attempt to ask me to dance?"

The brawler feigned ignorance. "I don't know. Is it?"

"Fine, you dolt." Grabbing Yang's hand, she let herself be pulled onto the dance floor, her white dress swishing about as she was pulled along. Soon Yang pulled to a stop, her own white dress tinging slightly purple from a few blacklights above the dance floor.

Off to the side, Ruby and Blake were talking with Sun and Neptune, Blake guffawing at something Sun had said and Ruby snorting in amusement at Blake's reaction. Sun pat her on the back before excusing himself and Neptune. When the left, Blake took a moment to compose herself before glancing at Ruby. "Shall we?"

Ruby nodded. "We shall." She blushed when Blake's hands hooked around her waist, shyly placing hers behind the other girls neck. She squeaked when the older teen pulled her close before leaning her head against Blake's collar and humming.

The swayed to the beat and just enjoyed the close feeling of the other. As they drifted around, Blake spoke. "This is nice."

"Yes, it is," Ruby agreed.

A sudden burst of laughter from the biggest cluster of students had them look over, laughing at the sight of a dress-clad Jaune asked for a dance from Pyrrha, who was giggling like mad at his appearance. "Aren't they cute," Blake deadpanned.

Ruby laughed. "It is kind of cute." Pulling back, she separated from Blake. "I'm gonna get some air real quick. The music is getting a tad much."

"I know the feeling." Glancing around, she nodded. "I'll go hang out with Yang and Weiss for the moment. See you in a few."

Making her way out of the hall, Ruby sighed in relief when the cool evening air played over her arms. Looking around, she smiled at the calm night. After a few moments, the smile disappeared suddenly.

Movement. A shadow leaping from one roof top to another. Muttering under her breathe about missing time with Blake, she gave chase.

 **XXXGMGXX**

Cinder's hips swayed as she strutted out of the elevator, typing in the conveniently acquired wifi password and slotting her scroll into the port of the central computer. Whistling a tune to herself while she waited for the program to load, she jumped slightly when the elevator doors opened again, causing her to duck down.

She listened at the self assured steps of the individual, the light padding making her realize her new acquaintance was probably female. A few furtive glances confirmed it as she saw Ruby moving around the room before she called out for anyone. So naive, Cinder thought. Flanking the girl, she closed in, lining her glass dagger in her own aura, the intense heat able to carve through the aura of others.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she was stabbed. Her aura gave way with a screech and she looked down, a dagger poking through her midsection. Behind her, Cinder was grinning triumphantly. So this was the girl that had pestered Roman, what a sad, pathetic girl.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Stepping forward, Ruby spun, bringing Crescent Rose upon her attacker, Cinder's reflexes being the only reason she managed to block the attack. Throwing up her mask, she quickly parried the assault of strikes the other girl provided, spinning to and fro, as if possessed.

Cinder had to retreat from the veritable hurricane that was Ruby Rose and her beloved 'sweetheart' as they danced their same deadly dance. The grace and skillful poise of the girl gave the criminal pause. If this girl could survive such a potent stab unscathed and move at this speed, it would do no good to engage her here. It would take careful planning to end this nuisance.

But she could now understand where Roman was coming from. Blitzing past the girl, she grabbed and dived into the stairwell.

Ruby zipped after her, but as she opened the stairwell, she cursed. Not a trace of the intruder anywhere.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Blake turned, eyes widening when she saw the person whom just prodded her shoulder. Amber eyes gazed upon the familiar spectacle of Ozpin. "Hello, Miss Belladonna. If you have a moment?"

"Oh, um, sure," she replied. "What can I help you with, Sir?"

The older man smiled warmly. "Nothing much. Ruby is being guided to my office at the moment and given your relationship with her, I thought you'd like to be present."

"Did something happen to her?" Blake asked, concerned for her girlfriend's wellbeing.

Another smile answered. "If she were harmed, it would be the infirmary that would be our destination." He patted her on the shoulder. "No, it's just a small security breach she attempted to handle."

Sighing her relief, she looked at Ozpin. "Lead the way, then."

 **End...**

Another chapter down. I may or may not draw Coco and her appearance. It's an interesting idea and she is one of my favorite characters. If I do, I'll post a link in my description later on and bring it up in the next chapter. If you are curious about my drawing ability, look no further than my profile picture. More proof can be found of deviantart under the same username or you can PM me.

Remember to vote on the poll, if you have yet to. The amount of votes already is really good and it's still fairly close. I've had a few votes via review, so that way is possible too.

Adieu for now!


	22. Chapter 22

Yo Peeps, back with chapter 22. For SS readers, username **Doomblade** has started a oneshot compilation of his own. He's just starting out in the archive and it'd be nice if he could get some readers. He makes some small mistakes, but it's pretty decent overall.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Ruby shifted from one foot to another, looking at the stern face of James Ironwood before looking elsewhere and shuffling awkwardly. The man's presence did absolutely nothing to ease her nerves. It was bad enough that she was standing in Ozpin's office, awaiting said owner, but she also had to stand next to big, tall, and intimidating?

After a few more tense moments, the sliding sound of the elevator opening drew both occupants to look. "Ozpin," Ironwood greeted politely before his gaze slid to the girl following him, her purple dress swishing slightly as she walked. He didn't think much on it, but apparently somebody else did.

"Blake!" Ruby chirped happily. Her girlfriend sent an easy smile, slipping over to where Ruby was.

Putting her arms around the girl, she embraced her. "Are you okay?"

Ironwood coughed, drawing their attention. "Miss Rose, we need you to tell us what happened at the CCT, if you would."

Pulling away with a disappointed sigh, Ruby acquiesced. "Well, I was at the dance with Blake and I needed some air, so I stepped outside and I was enjoying the night when I saw someone leaping across the roofs of the surrounding buildings."

"So, you followed?" It was hardly needed, but James needed to clarify.

Ruby nodded. "Yup. I saw some of the guards knocked out and called in Crescent Rose before going into the tower after her." She looked around awkwardly. "I didn't exactly see her when I first got to the top floor."

Ironwood quirked a brow. "Continue."

"She stabbed me, Sir."

Everyone blinked at the sudden statement. Ozpin was the first to speak. "Your semblance protected you, I assume?"

Ruby nodded again. "After that, I turned to engage her and she fled. I don't think she expected me to survive the stab." She scratched at the back of her head. "It ripped right through my aura."

"Can you describe the woman?"

"Dark hair, glowing eyes." She glanced at Blake. "Taller than Blake and her clothes were black with glowing patches." Ruby glanced off into space. "Her weapon looked like glass, actually."

Ironwood accepted the response. "Thank you for the information, Miss Rose." He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'd also like to thank you for your initiative. Remnant needs more huntresses like you." Dropping his hand back to his side, he looked over to Ozpin. "I'll be looking into this matter."

The Headmaster nodded. "Of course. I expect no less."

Pleased with that response, the general left without another word.

Ozpin turned his gaze to the two girls. "I'd rather not hold you up any longer, but this discussion proved convenient for another reason." At their looks, he elaborated. "I know of what you four are attempting to do, Ruby. I've also gathered the place you want to investigate."

Ruby looked at him owlishly. "You do? You did?"

"Indeed, Miss Rose." He smiled. "Like James pointed out, your initiative is certainly admirable." He pulled out his scroll. "You're aware of the joint student-hunter/huntress missions that are upcoming?"

Blake looked at him curiously. "Why is that relevant, Sir?"

Taking a sip from his mug, he replied, "Because I have you four slotted to go with Professor Oobleck in an area close to the location your team dug up."

"Why us?" Blake asked. "Why not Professor Oobleck and other hunters?" Her amber eyes stared at him intensely. "Surely there are others more qualified."

Shaking his head, he smiled softly. "I believe you four to be uniquely suited for the task. For various reasons, I may add." Standing from his chair, he walked over to look out one of the windows. "You aren't required to investigate anything. This offer was simply to better afford you the opportunity you were searching for."

Ruby spoke up. "Thank you Professor. We'll do our best!"

"Ruby," Blake objected.

The caped girl shook her head. "He's right Blake. Besides, it's not like we weren't gonna do it anyways." Realizing what she said, she glanced at Ozpin. "Sorry?"

"What for?" Ozpin asked. "All I heard was you saying something about me being correct." He smirked. "Did I miss anything?"

Taking it for what it was, Ruby replied, "Nope!"

Blake sighed. "Fine. We'll still need to talk to Weiss and Yang about it." She glanced at her scroll for the time. "Should we tell them to meet us there?"

"If I may," Ozpin broke in. "There's still a dance to enjoy. I'm sure your friends would be happy to have you there for the remainder." They could see the smile on his reflection. "It's not often we get to tarry with those we care for. Save your talk for later and enjoy what remains of the night."

The couple nodded before he waved them away. They left, off to rejoin their friends at the dance.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"Ruby, Blake! Over here!" A voice called as they re-entered the dance floor. Blake's eyes caught sight of Velvet and Coco at one of the tables on the outskirts of the room.

Walking over, she waved her greeting, Ruby doing the same. "Hello, Velvet. Did you need something?"

"No," the rabbit Faunus replied. "I had something to show you."

Beside her, Coco smirked. "You two missed a hell of a show."

"What'd we miss?" Ruby asked, plopping down next to Velvet as the girl retrieved her digital camera.

Coco laughed. "Jaune and his team showing everyone how to really bust a move." Pushing up her glasses, she smiled. "For a man wearing a dress, he has some pretty good moves."

Blake peered over Ruby's shoulder as the clip started, a smile pulling at her lips at Jaune's outfit. The smile became outright laughter from the two as he started dancing with his team following suit. The Faunus had to agree. Arc definitely had some moves.

After the clip ended, the group sat around giggling, Ruby leaning against Blake as she snickered like crazy. Their attention was caught when Yang's voice flooded the sound system.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, grab that special someone for the last dance of the evening. We're gonna slow this one way down." You could practically hear the smile in Yang's voice. "Enjoy, Lovebirds!"

Clasping Ruby's hand, amber eyes sought silver, which were looking up at her. "Might I have this dance?" Blake asked softly.

Ruby giggled happily. "You may." Letting herself be led to the dance floor, she found herself in Blake's arms yet again that night. It was definitely worth it as they swayed to and fro to the slow music. Leaning against Blake, she sighed into the girl's neck. "I love you."

Purring, Blake nuzzled Ruby's head. "I love you too, Ruby." She could stay like this forever.

 **End...**

SO! Quick thing! FOR KIK USERS! I'll be putting a link up on my profile page leading to a picture of a group code on Kik. If you want to join, you're welcome too. Rules are mostly just pertaining to being a respectful human being.

Why should you join? I'll be posting notifications when I upload chapters, I'll be able to answer any question, and I'll also be able to share some of my sketches and stuff with you.

Remember to vote on the poll. Your opinion matters!

Adieu for now!


	23. Chapter 23

Yo Peeps, GMG with chapter 23. Quick news! New story added to my page related to this one; PhantMom Roses (PMR). It's a bit more humor oriented than this one. Summer is back and ready to kick some ass. Check it out and let me know what you think.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

"Greeting, ladies! Much to do and such little time to do it!" The voice paused for only a second. "Come along now!"

Weiss eyed their history professor. "Are you certain Ozpin isn't trying to punish us."

Beside her, Yang laughed. "Come on, Princess. He means well." She gave the shorter girl a look. "Anyways, who are you to judge, oh She Who Studies All The Damn Time."

Snorting indignantly, Weiss turned away. "How dare you?"

"Girls," Ruby cut in. "We're getting distracted, let's move. The sooner we finish the sooner we get to back to Zwei."

That got the heiress' attention. Tai Yang Xiao Long had sent his daughter's their dog days prior and the prim girl had absolutely fallen for the adorable Corgi.

Blake rolled her eyes, obviously unenthused. "Joy..." She glanced at Ruby's pack. One sniff and she pouted. There wouldn't be any 'returning' to Zwei. The damnable thing was tagging along.

The four caught up with their energetic professor, boarding the bulkhead with him. With a jerk, the airship kicked off and was on its way.

As they flew, they watched Vale pass beneath him, giving way to less and lesser known places. To break the silence, Yang started talking. "So, it'll be interesting to see a certified hunter and what they're capable of."

Oobleck shook his head. "Any fighting is being relegated to you four. I will only step in should a need arise for it." He took a pull from his thermos and fixed his safari hat. "If it comes to that, I assure you I can handle it. Being a hunter, I've been in a fair number of tussles."

"Like the mushrooms?" Ruby asked.

Weiss groaned. "Those are truffles."

"Like the sprout?"

Blake snickered. "Those are brussles."

"Like moving fast?"

This caused Yang to outright laugh. She saw the mischievous grin on Ruby's face and decided to indulge her sister. "That's to hustle."

Oobleck hushed them as the bulkhead slowed, the party jumping off onto the landing zone. Once safely on ground, the bulkhead pulled away, fading into the distance. Safe couldn't exactly apply to where they'd landed.

It was quiet. That much was apparent. All around them were the broken and worn framework of skyscrapers and other similar buildings. The abandoned cityscape was haunting and it set the team on edge.

"Alright, before we set out, one rule needs to be covered." The four looked at Oobleck, who looked dead serious. "You will do as I say with no exceptions. Mt. Glenn is dangerous for a reason and I won't have you four hurt should I be able to prevent it."

They nodded. "Yes Sir!"

His eyes trained on Ruby. "Miss Rose! I thought I told you not to bring anything along, aside from your weapons. Why did you disobey?"

Shifting awkwardly, she laughed nervously. "You hadn't told us to listen to you yet..."

He blinked in surprise. "She's not wrong..." Composing himself, he fixed his glasses. "Alright leave it here."

"Uh..."

"What could possibly be so important, Miss Rose, that you hesitate to do as I say?"

In response a small furry head popped out of the pack. Ruby glared at Zwei. "Get back in the bag," she hissed.

Oobleck took a breath, steadying himself. "You brought a dog on a dangerous mission, with untold numbers of Grimm that could attack us at any moment."

"Yes?"

"Genius!" He zipped over and hoisted the dog into the air. "Dog are known for their keen sense of smell and such a companion is a boon for a hunt such as ours!"

Weiss, Blake, and Yang looked at Ruby who puffed up her chest proudly. "I'm a genius."

The heiress walked over and flicked the girl on the forehead. "You, like your sister, are a dolt." She looked at the dog before a smile pulled at her lips. "You're so lucky that I can tolerate your pet."

Behind her, Yang snorted. "Sure. You tolerate him." Her words oozed sarcasm and as expected, the heiress blushed. She couldn't help it. The corgi was so soft and huggable.

Ruby glanced at Blake who shrugged. "I'm not saying anything. You know how I feel about dogs."

Sighing, because it was true, the cloak wearing teen snapped their professor back into focus by asking him, "What are we hunting for then?"

Setting the dog down, he entered lecture mode and started speaking in his normal rapid fire speech. "We've come to this area to investigate a herd of Grimm that have been spotted. More precisely a pack of beowulves. Why they're here, in such large numbers, is a mystery. Given that Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, we figure that..."

"Someone's here," Blake concluded.

"Precisely!" Adjusting his specs again. "The Headmaster has voiced his hypothesis of someone having settled her and it is our job to verify the truth of this."

Well, this was gonna be interesting.

"First off!" He started again. "We need to locate the pack. If we can do that, then we find the rough area of the group."

Yang shrugged. "How long could it possibly take."

"Weeks, months," Oobleck replied, causing her to wince. "And there's the pack."

Weiss looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"And they've spotted us."

"What?!"

"AND THEY'VE SPOTTED US!"

The four turned to see the beowulves pour out into the street and readied their weapons, Oobleck stepping back to observe. It was quiet for a moment before Zwei broke the silence with a bark.

With that, the Grimm charged.

Team RWBY, without hesitation, engaged the enemy.

It was utterly one sided. Completely non challenging. Ruby, alone, could've taken this many. She had before when visiting her mother's grave.

After the pack was decimated, the group set off to explore the ruins. They soon learned that the exhausting part of fighting Grimm wasn't always how challenging one fight was. Every few steps was another battle. It soon became a battle of attrition.

All the while, they had to deal with Oobleck's question, instilling doubt into all but Ruby, whom hadn't been asked anything. As the day wore on, the girl's found themselves despairing the task set before them.

Weiss was now completely certain that Ozpin was punishing them.

As they set up camp, Oobleck had pulled Ruby aside to sweep the perimeter. Or so he said... The other three figured that he was now going to ask Ruby about her motivation to become a huntress.

Nah. She just got to see some Goliaths. Nothing major.

 **End...**

Another chapter down. Remember to vote. Check out the Kik group. AND LOOK AT PhantMom Roses. Adieu for now!


	24. Chapter 24

Yo Peeps, GMG with chapter 24. Broke past the review count on BCB so HUZZAH! This story is doing so well and it pleases me to know that people are enjoying it. The poll is coming along quite well and progress towards volume three is being reached.

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY...**_

After seeing the Goliaths, Ruby was treated with hearing Oobleck's reasons for becoming a hunter. He wasted to learn from past mistakes, use failures and mistakes from before and fix problems in the now. It was why he studied history so seriously, aside from his base adoration for the subject.

The two regrouped at the makeshift camp the other three had set up. Oobleck climbed up to the second floor, resting on a particularly sturdy piece of the floor, leaning back against a pillar. Below, the girls had a fire going, with their sleeping bags strewn around it in a circle.

Ruby glanced up at the resting form of her professor. "I'll take first watch."

Yang shrugged and flopped down on her bedroll. "You'll get no complaints from me."

"Thank you," Weiss said, settling on her own bedroll.

When Ruby looked at Blake, she saw the sour look on the Faunus' face. "Don't worry, Blake. I'll make sure Zwei leaves you alone."

Looking relieved at the reassurance, Blake too settled down, leaving Ruby to her watch. The girl found a hole in one of the walls, settling on a rock and propping Crescent Rose on her leg, using her scope to take a close look at some of the surrounding area and makes sure none of the Grimm ventured too close to their position.

"Blake, are you awake?" Yang's voice called softly.

"Yeah."

"Why do you think he asked us about being a huntress?" She rose slightly, propping herself up to look at the other girl. "What was he trying to say?"

Blake frowned. "Maybe he was just curious."

"You think?"

She shook her head. "No."

The blonde turned her head to look at her girlfriend. "Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course," the heiress bit out. "You two are talking. And what I said about doing it for my family, isn't exactly what you would think it would be. With all that my father has done with the company, I refuse to let it be the end all be all reputation of the Schnee Dust Company."

Blake sighed. "I want so much to change the world and show that the White Fang doesn't define the Faunus. I don't know if I can undo so many year of hate, though."

Yang smiled reassuringly. "Of course you can. You're not one to back down from a challenge."

"But I am!" She retorted. "I do it all the time. When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran. Dust, even my semblance is me just running away, leaving a pale imitation to take the hit."

After that, they fell silent. A moment passed before Yang spoke. "Well, I think I figured out something that drives us all."

The other two blinked in surprise and looked at her. "What would that be?" Weiss asked.

Yang smiled. "The four of us. We're a team, and friends, with two pairs of lovers to boot." Grinning oafishly, she chuckled. "Even if we stumble in paving our way, we'll still have each other, yeah?" She glanced at her sister, who was still keeping watch. "At least she knows what she wants to do."

Blake nodded. "Despite her somewhat innocent world view, she's so set on being a huntress, it's no wonder Dr. Oobleck didn't ask her about it."

"She's still a kid," Weiss pointed out.

The faunus shook her head. "She's only two years younger. We're all kids."

Weiss conceded the point, but spoke again. "We've all had this romanticized view of being a huntress, but at the end of the day it's a job. A job to protect the people. Anything we want will have to come second to that."

Yang coughed into her hand. "I don't know about you, Snowflake, but you certainly wouldn't come second to me."

Blake snickered. "Smooth, Yang." Looking at the flushed face of Weiss, she settled down. "We should get some sleep. We still have a job to do."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

After tailing a group of White Fang members and watching his master fall into a whole, Zwei had run as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, rushing back to where he remembered his other master to be. Zipping inside, he saw the blond master looking for the red one. Barking and running up to her, he whined as she greeted him.

Oobleck noticed the whine and turned to look at her girl. "Gather your weapons, your leader may be in trouble."

With Zwei leading the way, they found the hole Ruby fell through, Crescent Rose on the outskirts of the wrecked street. Weiss glanced at the large hole. It went down quite a ways from what she could see, the dark abyss of it making it hard to tell. "Do you think she fell?"

"Fell?" Questioned Oobleck running over.

Weiss pointed at the gaping hole. "Down there."

"Oh my..." Turning her started mumbling. "Of course. Of course, of course, OF COURSE!"

"What is it?!" Blake asked, concerned about the well being of her girlfriend.

"How could I be so stupid?!" He went to explain what had become of the failed Mt. Glenn settlement and the large underground grave that they now stood above. "We're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an _underground_ crime network.

"So they're working in caves?"

"A subway system of sorts." Pulling his weapon out, he frowned. "If Ruby is down there, we must find her."

 **End...**

So another chapter. Once the whole Mt. Glenn incident is over with, the story will go back to the more change based stuff.

To reviewer **DschingisKhan** : You are absolutely correct. While a review being negative of my story, YOU HAVE A VALID REASON! Huzzah for that. I realize that, yes, that is what I'm doing and I apologize for that. I do want this story to follow canon, and given how big an arc the Mt. Glenn is, it involves heavy retelling. I am trying to skim past what I can and keep what funny parts I want. Most of the changes to Canon that I will end up making pertain to Volume 3, so a little bit of patience, as Volume 2 is drawing to a close.

To Overwatch and Skyrim fans; Check out **Birds Among Dragons** by **In The Cold I'm Standing**. It's well written and I think you all will enjoy it.

ALSO, DON'T SAY ANYTHING MEAN TO **DschingisKhan**! Their review was entirely valid and I appreciate the honesty. As I have said before, I accept negative reviews that have a reason. The review wasn't a flame, so I accept it.

Adieu for now!


	25. Chapter 25

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter. This arc is almost done! What this means is that we go back to any changes I make for overall plot and the inevitable pairing of Ebony Snipers. With the current poll as it is, it would take a hell of a shift in votes to change this. Approximately 50 to 30 in favor of May joining the dork squad.

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY...**_

Without a word to Weiss or Yang, nor even a glance at Oobleck, Blake leapt into the hole. She was not about to leave her beloved sniper alone below with the White Fang that were surely to be found. The air whiffling past her, she readjusted herself, poised perfectly as her feet reached the ground. She crouched into an immediate roll, using her momentum to push up into a hand stand and thrusting her up and into a graceful flip, landing in a crouch. Aside from the ruffling of fabric and the quiet clacking of her heeled boots, she landed silently.

A quick scan of the area revealed no one in the immediate vicinity. Inhaling through her nose, she caught the familiar rose scent of Ruby and a growl rose in her throat. The lingering of other scents in the area made it apparent the cloaked girl was met with company. Her golden eyes narrowed into slits; the threat to her mate pulling at the more primal instincts within Blake. Following the scents, she prowled quietly along.

Coming upon a door, she noticed two guards keeping watch. With deft movement, she dashed forward, making use of the shadows to hide her movement as long as they could. As she leapt out, neither guard got an opportunity to yell for help as she knocked them out with flats of Gambol Shroud's blades. Reaching for the door, she hissed when an arm pulled her back.

Whirling around, she hissed threateningly at... Yang? Lilac eyes widened in surprise, the arm holding Blake releasing her. Blake sobered up quickly when she saw the fearful look on Weiss' face. Cursing herself for letting her emotions get out of hand, she felt her body ease out of its high stress state. "Sorry, but they have Ruby. I let myself get out of hand."

She looked at Oobleck who regarded her seriously. "While I should condone you for jeopardizing our mission over Ruby, I won't." He gave her a small smile. "The things we'd do for our love ones is merely something that defines us as who we are. Personal histories are something others will never fully understand, so it's hard to rationalize to others."

"While your talk is nice and all," Yang cut in. "We still need to find Ruby. My Sis is still down here."

Weiss nodded her assent. "While sneaking may be more effective, we might not have the time for discretion." She glanced at their professor. "We have a huntsman and now may be the time for brute forcing our way to find her."

Yang pumped her fist in excitement. "I hoped you'd say that!"

Looking at Yang's grin, one rose to Blake's face. "Let's do it."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

When Ruby heard the explosions and saw White Fang members fleeing towards the tracks, she grinned. Her team had come to save her. Jumping Roman, she pushed his hat over his eyes and made a run for it. She got a good distance before she heard a click and a hiss behind her, causing her to look. She saw the handle of Melodic Cudgel racing after her. By the time she saw it, she couldn't avoid it hoped her semblance would listen to her for once.

It did. Passing through her cloak harmlessly, the handle smacked into the ground before Roman recalled it. Looking up, she saw her team and Oobleck emerge. She threw herself into Blake's arms, laughing in relief as the older girl's arms curled around her protectively. A rather hard pat on the back had her pulling back, only to hug her sister. After they parted, she was returned her weapon and the team watched as the train kicked into motion.

Without a spoken command, the five peeled off after the train. They managed to keep pace, but the train was steadily picking up speed. Oobleck surged ahead, leaping onto the train with ease and motioning for the girls to hurry.

"Ladybug! Freezerburn!" Ruby called. Hooking her arms around Blake's waist, she grimaced in pain before both launched forward in a great burst of speed. As she passed Oobleck, Ruby gave out and fell, Blake got her feet underneath her and landed, keeping Ruby up, the girl draping from her waist. The cloaked girl let her head rest against Blake, not knowing exactly she was pressed against.

Blake gasped at the pressure before yanking Ruby up and away. The girl swayed a bit, but managed to finally regain her footing. "There we go. You okay, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, just a bit woozy. I still need to work on that."

Behind them, Weiss and Yang landed with much more grace. The heiress' glyphs made it much easier for the other couple. Oobleck nodded at the four before lifting a hatch on the roof of the train car, revealing the cargo below. "No..."

"What is it?" Ruby asked, looking at the glowing matrix of wires around the large structure. Her silver eyes widened. "Oh, that doesn't look good at all."

Oobleck hopped onto the next car, opening its hatch and shaking his head in disbelief. Checking a few more cars, his frown deepened. "No, no, no, NO!" He looked at RWBY. "THEY'RE ALL BOMBS!"

The astonishing statement was hammered in with a loud click as the caboose disengaged from the train. Catching up with Oobleck, they all made a mad dash for the front of the train. They were soon met with resistance as White Fang members poured out of the cars ahead. As the four girls managed to handle the first wave, they caught sight of two Paladins. One had been enough trouble, but now two?

"You girls head below," Oobleck spoke. "I'll handle things up here!"

Dropping into the car below, the four started systematically clearing each car of its occupants. After a handful of clean ups, they gave pause at the sight of a certain ice-cream colored minion of Roman. Bowing at them, Neo smirked easily. Yang growled low in her throat. "You girls go on ahead, I'll deal with her. "

Blake nodded, heading forward, only for Weiss to stop her and hand her a clip that looked like it belonged to Gambol Shroud. Nodding in thanks, she and Ruby passed Neo and into the next car. Weiss, bumped Yang's shoulder playfully before settling into her stance, Myrtenaster held at the ready. "Not alone."

Yang grinned. "Never."

Both turned serious. "Freezerburn!"

Neo was forced into a corner immediately at the combined assault. Yang was a relentless barrage of fists. The blonde's temper and rash style were easy enough to avoid, something she'd have been able to completely avoid in a one-on-one fight. Weiss' glyphs made it all the more difficult, whether it was helping position Yang or throwing Neo off balance. Still, training under Roman had taught her how to deal with some insane odds. The man may have talked her ear off, but he had an uncanny ability to evade.

Her dangerous dance was complex, but it had the desired effect of inciting in both short-tempered girls. The potency of the glyphs was weakening with the loss in concentration, while Yang was growing sloppy. Rolling under another punch, she jabbed her parasol into Yang's midsection, opening it and sending the girl crashing into Weiss.

Not wasting time, she pulled her blade from the handle and went for the downed pair. A hasty swing was suddenly blocked by a long red blade. Her dichromatic eyes caught sight of the Grimm mask the woman wore and she stepped back from the red garbed warrior. In a flicker of light, Neo fled in a teleport.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Blake had proceeded to the next car, only to find it empty. The one after greeted them with the sight of their goal, the door leading to the control room, and an obstacle, in the form of a certain red headed thief.

"You two," he grunted before smiling with false cheer. "You know, we should really stop meeting up like this." Swinging his cane with a flourish, he smirked. "People will talk."

Neither said a word, only lifting their weapons in response. No one moved for a moment, but Ruby's impatience finally got to her and she launched forward, spinning her blade in a tight and clean arc, right at his head. Melodic Cudgel came up, knocking back the blow with ease, while Roman stepped back to avoid the swipe of Gambol Shroud aimed at his mid section, before leaning back to avoid the second blade of the multiform weapon.

Even though he was outnumbered, he settled on riling the two up. If he had learned anything as a master criminal, it was that angry opponents were much easier to beat. Holding his cane in a two handed grip, he batted another swipe from Ruby aside. "Hey batter, batter." Turning, he knocked another one from Blake aside. "Swing!"

It was then he realized something. He had potentially angered two women, who's skills alone gave him some trouble, and he had forgotten what their semblances did. Ruby, while not mad at all, still started incorporating her speed more, making it harder for him to block the large arcing strikes of her scythe.

Then, Blake's various shadows were becoming a pest as she slammed a new clip into Gambol. Ruby noted what was happening as soon as the first clone had caught Roman's weapon in ice. Skipping back, she let Blake handle the thief. Roman, for his part, managed to free his weapon in time to block her next strike, groaning as it shattered into rock, showering him with dust and rubble. "Wonderful," he remarked sarcastically. "I just got this cleaned. Again."

He heard a sound above him and fired a shot upwards without looking... only to be doused in water. Growling, his eyes latched onto Blake and he swung, catching her in the head. His eyes widened as the girl's form shimmered and turned into electricity. He, the makeshift lightning rod, had just made a shocking discovery. In fact, one might say it was enlightening.

Jerking from the shock to his system, he stumbled back, twitching and fried. He glared at the two, who laughed at his expression. His zapped hair certainly made him look rather odd and it ruined any attempt to intimidate. As they laughed, he lashed out at the cause of his pain, trying one last time to silence the Faunus who had done this.

He realized another thing that day. She wasn't easily caught by surprise. Another clone and this one was a being of fire that exploded with an immediate burst of energy, launching him back and slamming him against a wall. He crumpled against the metal and slid down, coughing and twitching. The duo walked passed him, Blake only paying attention to him long enough to knock him unconscious with a strike to the back of the head.

The next room revealed the controls of the train. Behind them the door opened, and Yang and Weiss sidled in. Ruby took one look out the window before shooting the hatch above open. "We need to get out. This is a death trap waiting to happen."

Once on the roof, Weiss saw why. Ahead of them, approaching fast was a metal wall. Switching to the correct dust chamber, she stabbed Myrtenaster down, ice bursting forth from the impact site and surrounding the four in a formation of the cold material. "Hold on!"

The train barreled head long into the metal wall, demolishing it, while the front end of the vessel crunched under the pressure. The ice block was launched forward and out of the whole, cracking as it tumbled along the ground before it broke and sent the girls sprawling along the ground. It took them a moment to get their bearings, but when they did, the Grimm started pouring out of the hole behind them.

Ruby noted a raised platform from Atlas' occasional presentations about new technology before sweeping her eyes around to watch the people fleeing. Turning to her team, she motioned towards the stage. "We need to get the higher ground, come on!"

They made a run for it, only a few Grimm between them and it, so getting there was the easy part. Once on the platform, Ruby shifted Crescent Rose into its sniper form and began picking off Grimm. "Aim for the ones going after the people. Yang, Blake, keep them off of Weiss and I!"

The brawler nodded, sending a grin at Blake. "You heard her. Let's kick some Grimm tail."

Ruby, still taking out the various Creeps and Beowulves, called to Weiss. "Contact Beacon, we need back up!"

"Right!" Weiss pulled up her scroll, calling the first professor she saw on her contacts... Peter Port. The video feed pulled up and before he could start speaking, his eyes caught sight of what Weiss was showing him. "We need help in downtown Vale, sir. Grimm have invaded and we're not sure how long we can hold this area."

All sense of his usual cheer was gone as he nodded. "Right. I'll pass the message along to the headmaster as I make my way there. Luckily, I have a team here to bring with me. Team CFVY and I will be there momentarily. The alarm had gone off and we were unsure of exact location, so thank you for this information, Miss Schnee." With that, the feed cut.

Ruby swapped clips, sighing when she saw that the closest civilians had cleared the area. She was glad they managed to get away, but now came the hard part. Calling out for a new formation, RWBY shifted to a more defensive stance, each girl facing out towards the Grimm surrounding them, backs to one another. Glancing at the massive numbers of Grimm, she frowned. "We need to split up. This platform wont be big enough for us to fight effectively all clumped together. Blake and I will split one way, you two go the other. We just need to hold out long enough for reinforcements."

Yang cracked her knuckled before saluting playfully. Tossing her hair back, she turned before running into the amassed grin, Weiss on her heels. "Banzai!"

Blake and Ruby shared a quick smile before Running the other way, their voices calling out too with, "Banzai!"

A flurry of rose petals kicked up as they descended upon a small pack of Beowulves. Ruby struck the front one hard, severing its torso before spinning into another strike at the one to her left, felling the second beast. Adjusting her grip, she grunted as Blake jumped onto the flat of Crescent's blade before jumping up and over the pack, firing shots down with Gambol.

Landing in the middle of the pack, she lashed out in large sweeps of her scabbard's edge, dropping into a spinning crouch, slicing the katana blade through the creatures knees and effectively dropping the Wulves surrounding her. Rising, she fell into pattern with Ruby, dancing about the other girl's strikes into the horde and adding her own in any openings that were left.

Yang and Weiss fight was vastly different. It was more a game of protect the queen and Yang did a damn fine job of it. She knew that some of the heiress' glyphs took precious time that wasn't readily available on the field of battle, so Yang resolved to get her that time. Batting aside Creeps and Ursa alike, she found her efforts well spent went a large ethereal blade swept into the mass of creatures, killing them swiftly. She hadn't seen the spell often, but that didn't detract from how impressive it was.

A grinding sound ripped into the air and Yang turned to see a Boarbatusk spinning in its signature attack, peeling after her. Dodging meant it hitting Weiss, so the only option was to block it. And block it she did, getting launched by the sheer momentum and force of the strike and flying into the air. Feeling a bit helpless about leaving her girlfriend to the Grimm, she fired a few last shots into them, gritting her teeth as she watched them surround Weiss.

Her grim expression shifted into a smile when the rapport of gunfire was heard and the massive collection of Grimm was cut down. Two Bullheads dropped in, with Team JNPR jumping from one and Port and CFVY dropping from the other. The influx of huntsman and huntresses in training allowed Team RWBY to regroup and fight as a unit once again, with the benefit of having more free room to maneuver in.

The reinforcing deployment was especially appreciated as larger Grimm escaped from the tunnel. A pair of King Taijitu slithered out, one heading for JNPR, while the other engaged team RWBY. The four stared at it determinedly, waiting for it's initial strike, but maintaining the proper positioning to avoid it coiling around their position. A loud concussion of sound surprised them, when one of the Taijitu's head's exploded violently. Ruby's silver eyes followed the trajectory, eyes catching the flash of a muzzle as another loud clap of gunfire marked the end of the second head. Down one of the streets, her gaze landed on a sniper garbed in a red coat, with a beanie on their head.

One of the foreign students, perhaps? She thought. Looking around at the quickly dwindling number of Grimm, she noted that they were almost done. The final nail in the coffin came when Atlas's air ships arrived on the scene and the Atlesian Knights were deployed, the last of the Grimm being swiftly slain. It officially ended, however, when Glynda Goodwitch arrived and closed the tunnel with her magic.

And so, they caught their breath. Roman was arrested soon after, looking none too pleased about it, while the students gathered up. Except for Ruby and Blake. Ruby had jogged down the street, Blake following out of curiosity of what her girlfriend was up to. When she noticed a woman sitting on a sidewalk, with a sniper in hand, it clicked. This was the one who had helped them.

Ruby walked up and held her hand out in greeting. "Hello! My name is Ruby and I wanted to thank you for the help back there." She motioned to Blake. "This is my girlfriend and teammate Blake."

The sniper shook Ruby's hand before nodding politely at Blake, speaking with a soft voice. "May Zedong. It's nice to meet you both and it was hardly any trouble."

"Your sniper is super powerful!" Ruby said, lifting her own weapon. "Crescent Rose can't use higher caliber shells or the movement would be to jerky and it'd tear her apart."

May nodded. "That's the issue with trying to include a customizable high-impact sniper rifle into another weapon. You have to sacrifice some of the raw power for versatility or the shift has the be something minor so that the main constituents can handle the recoil. More parts means a lowered threshold for recoil and I'm surprised it can handle the power I noticed earlier."

Noting Blake's annoyed expression, she laughed. "Sorry about that." She smiled nervously. "It was nice to meet you two. I need to head on down to the bookstore for something, so maybe I'll see you two around?"

Blake's expression softened. Another person who actually enjoyed books, finally. And she thought Ruby was the only one. Jaune and his comics, certainly did NOT count. "Perhaps," she affirmed. Twining her hand with Ruby, she waved goodbye and pulled Ruby back to where their friends were.

Ruby leaned against Blake, both out of exhaustion and to be playful. "Well, she seems nice."

"Yeah."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Later that night saw May in Team NDGO's dorm, speaking with the four girls. Her team held a fairly strong friendship with NDGO and while she'd love to speak to her teammates about some matters, those of the heart were not exactly at the top of the list to explain to three men. "That's the problem, though, Nebula. They're super pretty and really nice, but they're together!" So, perhaps the sniper was crushing on two members of Team RWBY, but none of the girls around her could blame her.

There was no denying the Bellabooty. Even if Blake was unaware, the topic of her family's women and their rears were the stuff of urban legend in Remnant.

On the flip side, Nebula thought it rather cute to see May so worked up over the situation. It undeniably adorable to see the girl crushing on someone finally, let alone two someones. Oum knows that she tried to get the girl to open up about love before, but May wasn't interested in what NDGO had.

Which Nebula understood. It was a bit odd that her team was basically a love party, but the four of them had clicked so well and it hadn't exactly surprised her that they had ended up as both a strong fighting force and a relationship in one go. Looking back at May, she pat the girl's shoulder reassuringly. "Just go for it, May. You've seen the four of us, so you must understand it's quite possible they'll accept you."

May looked away. "Yeah, but it's just as likely they'll think I'm weird," she bit back.

Dew sighed from behind Nebula. "You should still try, May. Besides, we'll be heading back to Shade after the tournament, so a negative response isn't the end of the world."

Groaning, May flopped down one the ground. "Not helping."

Well, maybe it was... a little.

 **End...**

Another chapter down. LONGER than what I thought it'd be, but since I managed to get this included the **Poll is now over.** May is going to join the pairing. As for exact votes:

27(+3) for Yes

22 for Potato Salad (Also a Yes Vote)

21(+1, -1) for No

13 for Lasagna (Also a No Vote)

The numbers in parentheses are votes cast by review or the PM asking me to count their accidental No vote as a Yes one, thus the -1 you see.

Also, we have a few very active people in the Kik chat and I would sincerely hope you Peeps will join us. We talk about the episodes, story ideas, and I even share some funny little quips and ideas that pop up into my head. We also have various pictures we share and it's usually a pretty good time.

I will be closing the poll as I post this, so I hope y'all will look forward to the poll I raise with next chapter. Adieu for now!


	26. Chapter 26

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 26 of PR. As has come up on my Kik Chat, someone suggested a Discord Server and I intend to make one soon. My wifi is limited at the moment so I'll do my best to get it up and running ASAP. I will make sure to put a notice in my next chapter for all my current stories to let you all know for certain. Check my profile in a few days and I should have a link up and running.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY!**_

The days following the Breach were rather quiet. Given all that RWBY had gone through, it made sense that they wanted to do nothing more than to stay in their room, relax, and catch up on their sleep. This day was marked different when Yang was dragged off to the library to 'study" with Weiss. Needless to say, the energetic blonde wasn't exactly complaining once she heard what'd they'd be reviewing.

Blake and Ruby were left to their sleep.

As they morning stretched on, Ruby started growing restless. A coiling in her shoulders started building and she grimaced. She was experiencing the discomfort following too much sleep. Stretching in an attempt to soothe her tense shoulders, she sat up. As the sheets fell from her shoulders, she shivered at the breeze from the AC. Rubbing her shoulders as she stood, she stole away into the bathroom to ease another pressure.

As the door clicked shut, Blake's cat ears twitched at the sharp sound. Her eyes slipped open and she groaned. Rolling onto her stomach, she pulled her arms in, pushing under herself and pushing up, arcing her back. The stretch caused her back to crack slightly and she purred contentedly when some of the grogginess peeled away from her.

Swiftly pulling her legs underneath, she pushed up again, this time in a similar fashion to the downward facing dog. Not quite the yoga position, because the Faunus refused to do anything related to dogs. She heard the bathroom open and flushed when Ruby walked out and saw Blake's downstairs area.

In the Faunus's defense, the blankets were incredibly warm and she didn't need the extra clothing. Bah, that was a horrible excuse, she admitted. She had woken earlier when Weiss and Yang left and had shucked her panties, figuring perhaps it was time for her and Ruby to go that one step further.

Of course, it wasn't her plan to render her girlfriend inert with the wombo combo that she possessed. Her centre was erotic enough a sight, but combined with the sight of the Bellabooty and you had a weapon capable of staying any mortal in Remnant, regardless of sexuality. Ruby? She collapsed on the spot, eyes glazed over, muttering something about heaven. Or was it Haven?

Rocking forward on her heels, Blake forced her momentum into the swing back and threw herself into a standing position. Ruby's eyes stayed lock of her ass, and Blake felt a smile grow. Blake turned and stalked over to Ruby, watching with amusement as her lover's gaze climbed upwards as she approached, and as she stood above the girl, their was no denying what she was looking at.

Kneeling, she ran a hand through Ruby's dark locks and finally snapped her gaze away from the unholy temple that was Blake's rear. "It's rude to stare, you know." Purring, she pulled Ruby up into a seated position.

"Sorry. I don't know why I did that and-" Ruby squeaked in surprise before melting into the heated kiss. It was unlike so many of their kisses; where normally they were soft and sweet, this was rough and passionate. Blake dominated her mouth with an almost animalistic ferocity. Oh, right... Well, Ruby wasn't gonna complain and the whimper in her throat was certainly not induced by fear.

It was excitement. Blake pulled back, panting heavily before pressing her forehead against Ruby's. "If you say no, now, I will stop." She bunched her hands in Ruby's shirt front, teeth grit as she growled. "There's no going back after this, Ruby. I won't be able to stop myself, if you accept."

Ruby just gave her a dazed smile. "Then don't stop." Another squeal tore from her throat as she was pulled to her feet. She stumbled behind Blake, giggling as she was tossed onto their bed. She felt her heart speed up when she saw the bright yellow eyes staring at her intensely. Her lust welled up and dropped between her legs.

Blake pounced.

 **LEMON APPROACHING! BEWARE THE CITRUS!**

It thoroughly disoriented Ruby, the stark contrast in Blake's behavior. The normally reserved girl was now staring her down and almost literally tearing Ruby's clothes from her body. Stripped bare, she looked aside, a bit embarrassed with how much skin her girlfriend could see. Blake leaned down, rubbing her head against the pale neck of her prey. Scraping her teeth up, along the skin, eliciting a gasp from Ruby, she placed a kiss at the underside of Ruby's jaw before letting her breath caress the younger girl's ear. "Mine."

Ruby squirmed at the pronounced claim. She nodded helplessly, pushing her body against Blake. "Yours." A low whine cut from her throat when one of Blake's hands grabbed at her chest, clawing at her breasts. Her eyes teared up from the pain, but when Blake's tongue danced over her raw flesh, that her lover wasn't about to take without giving. Ironically, Ruby mewled when Blake's mouth explored her chest.

Another jolt of pain had her arching into the Faunus, surprisingly sharp teeth clamping down. A hard knee pressed into her centre and Ruby let out a low groan. By Oum, this woman would be the death of her. Again, a hand clawed at her other breasts, playing with it mercilessly and groping it possessively. When she spasmed from the cocktail of sensations, a hand slipped under her back, sliding along her spine and ending above her ass.

Blake took a firm grip of the round flesh and with her grip on the girl's rear, pulled the abused girl's snatch against her knee as she pressed against it in turn. Ruby bucked wildly underneath her hold and cursed in pain. "Oh Dust!" Ruby attached her arms around Blake's hips, pulling at her. "More. For fuck's sake, Blake, don't stop."

The uncharacteristic outburst cause a feral grin to spread across the Faunus's lip. Letting Ruby's breast from her mouth, she reached back and pried the arms from her waist and climbed off Ruby, drawing a desperate whine from the girl. Adjusting her position, she straddled one of Ruby's thighs and placed a hand on the slight shoulders of the smaller girl, effectively leaning over the bare body below her.

Ignoring the pleasant friction of her own womanhood against Ruby's leg, she brought her free arm back and placed it over Ruby's wet folds. A gentle sigh came from the girl's mouth, causing Blake to grin even wider. Her fingers slipped in with ease, given how slick her lover was. Slowly her grip on the girl's lower end tightened. Ruby shifted slightly from discomfort before groaning as the pain returned.

Suddenly Blake released her grip and pulling her hand back. Ruby relaxed slightly, the pain causing her tense up. This lowering of her guard was her undoing as Blake's fingers furiously went to work when Ruby least expected it. A scream pulled from the silver-eyed girl's throat as Blake worked her over. A firm bite on her chest further emphasizing the feelings overwhelming the girl.

Ruby's hips jerked wildly under the assault and she cried Blake's name to the end of Remnant and back. Tears streamed from her cheeks as she grasped at Blake, no idea of how to wrap her head around all the things she was feeling. Slowly she felt a kind of pressure building. As it reached its peak and she was sure she'd be unable to hold it back anymore, Blake's lips mashed against hers and she whimpered into them, her first orgasm crashing over her.

Blake slowed her movements, letting Ruby come down before the girl went limp in her arms. A laugh burst from her lips as she let Ruby collapse against the mattress. The only movement from the girl was her heaving chest. Feeling quite pleased with herself, Blake went over where she had scratched Ruby and passed her tongue over the raw flesh, this time being tender with her ministrations. The poor girl had taken enough abuse.

Finally peeling her own clothing off, though her kimono wasn't much, she pressed her body against Ruby's, sighing in content at the pleasant feeling of the pure unadulterated contact between the two. When she felt Ruby's arms lazily fold over her back, Blake smiled and rolled to the side, pulling Ruby up and onto her, reversing their positions. Reaching up to tangle her hands through the girl's short hair, she hummed a happy little song.

And they just stayed there. No words were said, just Blake humming and Ruby smiling into the ravenette's neck as she listened. Slowly, Ruby felt her second wind rise up and she started trailing her hands down Blake's sides before pawing at the delicious flesh that constituted the Bellabooty. A lustful growl replaced the calm hum and Ruby snickered. Apparently the Bellabooty was also the weakness of those endowed with it as well.

Releasing it for a moment, she got her hands under her and pushed up from Blake, regretting the loss of contact, but given what she wanted to do, it was necessary. It was Blake's turn and nothing on Remnant would deny her this. Planting a quick kiss against Blake's lips, she pushed off the girl and rested on her haunches. leaning over to grab some of the pillows they had at hand, she started laying them out beside the Faunus, making a makeshift backrest. Satisfied with her work, she twined her hands with Blake's and pulled the girl up from the bed before settling her onto the pillows.

It was sweet when Ruby began to worship Blake's body. She was inexperienced, both being a virgin and having never read Blake's choice of literature. Combined with weaker instincts and Ruby ended performing in a way befitting her: and adorable clutz. Blake talked her through it, sighing in pleasure as Ruby started to pick up on what she was told.

Blake's body was a pale temple and Ruby worshiped at the altar, devout as any lover could be. Her touch was soft, but enthusiastic and endearing. The nervous energy that radiated from the girl mixed into her touches and Blake closed her eyes as hands and mouth doted on her flesh. For all her inexperience, however, Ruby took to the oral aspect of things like a fish to water.

Upon Blake's reaction to her initial exploration of the girl's pussy, Ruby renewed her efforts and focused entirely on the task at hand. Her tongue darted in and out of the slick folds, the flavor against her tongue only being describable as purely Blake greeted her. If this was the main course of a Blake buffet, the Ruby was completely okay with digging in. Hands twined into her hair and Ruby was pulled closer as she went down on her girlfriend.

Blake shuddered her and eventually a flood of the slick material from before assaulted Ruby's mouth, a low keen coming from the Faunus being replaced my a rumbling purr as she relaxed. Taking this as a good sign, she detached herself from Blake and crawled up before curling into Blake's side. Grabbing a blanket, she pulled it over them and dozed off against the purring teen.

 **END OF LEMON**

Shifting slightly to get comfortable, Blake stared at Ruby. Her sleeping expression smiling widely and making Blake smile in turn. It faltered when she remembered thinking she had lost this girl at Mount Glenn. But, they had made it and here they were, finally as one.

Their scent tugged at her instincts and her purr grew louder. Her mate was claimed and now, no Faunus could take Ruby from her.

 **End...**

Why lemon? Figured the whole fiasco that was Glenn could act as a suitable motivation and with May being a sure thing now, I wanted the two to consumate their relationship before adding her. Aside from a review from a while back asking for this, this was mostly my decision. The last hurrah before this ladybug fic becomes more. ALSO, to fix an issue from the last chapter Ebony Snipers is being changed to Shoot and Run for the pairing of BlakeMayRuby.

Adieu for now!


	27. Chapter 27

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 27! With the last chapter, I have broken 40k words on a single story. Onwards to furthering this story!

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY...**_

Weiss and Yang returned to the dorm in the evening. One step in the door and both froze at the sight. Blake and Ruby were curled up together on their bed. That wasn't uncommon, but the clothes strewn around them and the bare shoulders that were visible had Yang seeing red. A stern glare from Weiss kept her from ending Blake then and there, but it didn't stop Yang from slamming the door shut.

The sleeping couple jolted awake, wide eyes looking for any danger. Their rush to protect themselves resulted in the duvet falling from its resting place on them and revealing some very angry red marks on Ruby. Weiss averted her gaze, blushing in embarrassment and Yang was steaming. "What the actual fuck, Blake?!"

Cat ears flattened and Blake winced at the harsh tone, but she refused to back down. "Don't act all high and mighty Xiao Long! I'm quite well aware of what you and Weiss and have been up to. My hearing and vision aren't my only heightened senses. You should really shower after some of your outings in the city."

Yang growled. "She is fifteen, Blake!"

This time Ruby cut in. "Like you didn't do it at that age, Yang." She pouted. "You weren't exactly quiet about the girl you brought home."

Weiss huffed. "Would you all just quit it?" Still not looking, she pointed in the general direction of the couple. "You two need to get dressed so we can talk about this like civilized people."

"It's none of your business," Blake bit back.

Yang moved forward, fist raised. "It IS my business when you sleep with my sister!"

Shaking her head, Weiss grabbed Yang by the collar. "For Oum's sake, Yang, you need to calm down. Resorting to fists is barbaric and I'm not gonna just sit around and let you get into pitched battle with your sister's partner."

The blonde grimaced but backed down. Ruby scampered off into the bathroom with a change of clothes, while Blake picked up her kimono and tied it back on before slipping on her panties. Walking over to the Team's desk, she grabbed her bow and tied it on, letting out an annoyed breath. Looking somewhat presentable, she settled back on her bed, waiting for Ruby.

It took a bit for the team leader to get dressed, but given the complexity of her regular attire and the less than ideal state of her nightwear, it was to be expected. She emerged in her regular outfit, cloak and all, before settling down beside Blake and planting a kiss on the girl's cheek, prompting a smile.

Weiss took a moment to collect herself. "So, about this whole situation..."

Blake narrowed her eyes at the girl. "I already said that it's none of your business."

"Quite." Weiss conceded the point, but continued. "It's not and, quite frankly, I don't want to know. I'm just trying to keep some civility so _someone_ doesn't get arrested for murder." She sent a pointed glare at Yang.

The brawler snorted. "How else am I supposed to react to learning that my sister is bumping uglies, when she's too young."

"Sis?"

"Yeah, Ruby?"

"Butt the fuck out." The other three girls stared at her, not expecting the blatant curse. Ruby didn't stop there. "Blake is right, it's none of your business. It's my life to do with what I will. Besides, it's hardly as if she's a stranger." She glanced at Blake. "I love her. More than anything Yang and if you try to make me choose between her and you, you won't like the result."

A pained expression crossed Yang's face. "Ruby..."

Standing up, she got into her sister's face. "No, Yang. When you and Weiss got together, you didn't get any complaints. I don't need super senses to know what you and Weiss do. You aren't exactly subtle about it."

"But you're too young."

Ruby stamped her foot on the ground. "Yang, we are huntresses. We are constantly exposed to danger and you're seriously gonna worry about my girlfriend and I sharing a special moment over the constant struggle we'll face on the battlefield?"

Yang looked down, ashamed. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"She isn't gonna hurt me!" At Weiss' cough, Ruby amended that. "Much. Tough love notwithstanding, she hasn't hurt me."

Blake nodded. "Yang, if I hurt her-" Weiss coughed again. "You know what I mean! But, that said, you're welcome to kick my ass from one end of Remnant to the other, if I break her heart."

"As lovely as this conversation is," Weiss interjected. "I think we're done. Anything else to add?" No one spoke. "Wonderful. I just got a message from Ozpin saying that two visitors are here to see our team. We're to head to his office to meet them."

Looking down at her outfit, Blake nodded. "I'll take a quick shower and we can head out." Grabbing her clothes, she slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Ruby's eye widened in realization. "I should take one too." When she turned to look at her sister, the mischievous grin the blonde had unsettled her.

"So..." Yang started. "Masochistic much?" Ruby's turned bright red. "Cat got your tongue? Literally."

Weiss just shook her head. "Not five minutes ago, you were ready to tear off Blake's head and now you're gonna let it slide?" Throwing her arms up, she walked over to sit at their desk. Typing a quick message on her scroll, she sent it, letting Ozpin know why they'd be a bit delayed in arriving, quoting "hygiene" and leaving it at that.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

One freshly cleaned RWBY made their way to the office. Yang and Weiss had opted to shower as well, given that, true to Blake's earlier statement, they weren't exactly innocent during their study session. As they walked, Weiss was going over subjects with Yang, making sure that their lost study time wasn't in vain, while Ruby and Blake followed slightly behind the two. Ruby's hand was in Blake's and she skipped along, smiling brightly as Blake hummed contently.

Yang and Weiss' conversation halted when the four reached the elevator and stepped inside. Ruby turned to hit the button before the doors slid close. The normal jerking motion of the elevator kicked in and soon they were on their way. A muted rock song played from the speakers, causing Yang to tap her foot as she listened. After a moment, another jostle alerted them to their arrival and the door slid open, RWBY filing out.

Ozpin was sat at his desk, engaged in conversation with the two people standing there. Ruby was a bit intimidated at the larger of the two. The man was built like a mountain, tall and broad. He wore tan pants and a large metal plate sat on one of his massive shoulders. His hair was black, both on his head and chest. He bore an impressive beard, but for all his intimidating appearance, the wide smile he bore wiped away any fear one might feel of the man.

Beside him was a much smaller woman. Her hair was black and wild, cut short but still feminine, a pair of cat ears displayed proudly, golden bands hanging from the furry appendages. Her eyes were the same shade as Blake's and a warm smile split her face as she turned to the team. Tapping her husband's arm, the man took a hint and looked at where his wife was pointing.

Just as he turned, a familiar form slammed into his midsection, causing him to wheeze with laughter. "I've missed you too, dear." Patting Blake's head, he pulled her back to get a good look at her. "How you've grown." Brushing her hair back slightly, he smiled sadly at the sight of her bow. Looking at her team, he turned to give her a meaningful stare. "Do they know?"

Blake smiled, tears in her eyes. "Yes, Dad."

He laughed jovially. "Then it's good to see you've made some friends." Pushing her towards her mother, he walked over to greet the team.

Kali Belladonna pulled her daughter into a hug, nuzzling the girl affectionately. "How have you been, kitten?"

"Wonderful, Mom." Blake returned the hug fiercely. "My team is so nice and I've made so many friends." Letting her mother go, she pulled back to grin. "There's someone I want you to meet."

The elder Faunus' eyes twinkled with a amusement. "The one in red, correct?" She giggled at Blake's blush. "It may be watered down, kitten, but I can still smell it on you."

"Mom!"

"Oh, hush!" She patted Blake's shoulder. "Besides, she's very cute. I expect to hear the full story later." She stopped Blake from complaining with a warning stare. "Now, why don't you introduce us?"

"Yes, Mom." She nodded politely to Ozpin before walking over to the others with Kali.

The small woman prodded her husband. "Quiet down a bit. Let's head to their dorm, so we aren't taking up any more of Professor Ozpin's time."

"Quite right, Kali!" He agreed. Looking at the three, he grinned. "We can finish the story on the way back."

Exiting the office, they party headed back to the dorm room. Blake spoke quietly with her mother, deciding to let her father finish his tale. He had been regaling her teammates with stories from some of his recent trips on the sea. She and Kaliboth shared a laugh over Ruby's awestruck expression as the man detailed the many dangers he had encountered, hanging on each word.

To be fair, he was an amazing story teller. Having a bookworm of a wife and the same in his daughter, he had picked up a fair bit of practice. As the story ended, he laughed again. "So, why don't you three introduce yourselves?"

Kali rolled her eyes. "Why not let your daughter handle it, Ghira?"

So Blake did. "The blond loudmouth is Yang Xiao Long. She makes our lives hell with her various puns."

Yang waved. "Don't make me sound so clawful. Jeez, Blake, I'm just trying to be funny."

Behind her, Weiss spoke. "And failing horribly." Reaching out to shake both parents hands politely, she smiled. "Don't mind my girlfriend. My name is Weiss Schnee, it's a pleasure to meet you both." At Kali's uneasy smile, Weiss sighed. "Misses Belladonna, I do not support my father's view of the Faunus."

Blake's mom relaxed. "It's nice to meet you too." Turning to look at her daughter, a mischievous smile returned to her lips. "Why don't you introduce us to your special friend?"

Blaine caught on rather quickly. "Ho now, has my daughter actually found someone to pull her away from her books?"

Blake's eye twitched. "I was NOT that bad." Walking over to Ruby, she placed an arm around her and looked at her parents. "This is my girlfriend, Ruby Rose."

Ruby blushed and held out her hand, smiling awkwardly. "I-it's nice to meet you both."

"No need to be shy, girl," Ghira laughed. "I don't bite." He looked at the other two before an idea struck him. "How would you girls like to get something to eat?"

Four loud rumbles greeted his question.

 **End...**

Another chapter down. Thanks to **Danorac** for helping me with a small issue. To explain names; Blaine isn't really color oriented, but then again is Jacque? I figured it was close enough to Blake's to be passable. As for Vantá... My good grief the struggle. We sat in the kik chat just going over possible female names having to deal with the name and finally, we settled on Vantá after I mentioned Vantablack, the darkest material on Earth. It absorbs 99.965% of light, meaning it's super black. I realize that we'll likely get names soon, but until then, these are the names I'm using. I will come back and fix these chapters once we learn their real names. I will legitimately flip if Blake's mom is called Vantá tho. Not gonna happen, but dreams...

Adieu for now!

 **Edit: All uses, or most (human error and all), of Vanta and Blaine are replaced with their Canon names between chapters 27 and 30. With 31 onwards being after I started using the canon names while typing.**


	28. Chapter 28

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 28.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Blake's parents led the four to their ship, something of a familiar sight to Blake. To the other girls, however, it was a bit of a surprise. A ship wasn't where they expected to dine at, but finally Ruby spoke, as if it were obvious. "Well, Blake likes tuna, so maybe her mother...?"

Kali laughed. "Actually, her father loves fish." She waved her hand vaguely. "It's more a passing fancy for me."

"Well, isn't Ruby just racist?" Yang snickered, prodding Weiss.

Ruby flushed and Blake hugged her. "Don't worry," the Faunus spoke. "I don't mind."

Behind her, Ghira slapped the girl on the back reassuringly. "Honest mistake." Smiling at his wife, he laughed. "I did the same thing."

"It's kind of unavoidable, when you spend a lot of time on the sea." Kali pointed out. "Now, on you get." She motioned them to move. As Ghira and the girls boarded, her ears twitched and she looked around, feeling something watching. A quick scan of the are had her eyes catch on a girl a short distance off trying to discretely watch them. Or rather... Blake or Ruby. Kali couldn't truly tell. Filing the information away, she climbed on board with her husband graciously helping her aboard.

Pecking her husband on the cheek for his help, she skirted past him and went below deck to get the food ready. Ghira patted Blake's shoulder, making a gesture for her to follow. Leaving the other three to look around, father and daughter walked off. As they reached a grouping of barrels, Ghira turned to look at his daughter, sweeping her up in a hug. Blake returned it, happy to see them again. "I missed you , Daddy."

"And I, you, Kitten." Blinking back a few tears, he sighed contently. Releasing her, he looked her in the eyes. "So, this Ruby girl..."

Blake averted her eyes, blushing madly. "Dad!"

Pulling her gaze back with a hand on her jaw, he smiled. "Don't be so embarrassed, Kitten. I like her too." He shook with laughter. "Call it a gut feeling." Dropping his hand, he turned to the barrels, untying a few from the pile and hoisting one up over either arm. "Now, we shouldn't keep your friends waiting."

Blake went to grab a barrel as well, but a cough turned her attention to the smiling face of her father. "It's not necessary. Given what you and Miss Schnee said, two seats will probably do fine for you four." He grinned. "Besides, we can always come back if that Schnee girl complains."

He walked off, Blake following as they returned to the other three. Ghira dropped the barrels down, Blake hugging him before sitting on one. Ruby walked over and Blake pulled the girl onto her lap, circling her arms around the small waist of her leader. Humming happily, Ruby closed her eyes and swung her legs lazily, Blake's chin resting on the nape of her neck.

Weiss looked at the two before she noticed Yang sitting on the other barrel, smiling suggestively. Snorting and rolling her eyes, she stalked over and flicked the girl's nose. "Ow! What was that for, Weissy?"

"That stupid grin of yours." She sat on Yang's lap. "If you speak out of line, we won't have any more visits to the town for a week."

Ghira chuckled. "Tight leash on her?"

"Like you're one to talk," Blake snarked.

Waving off his daughter, he laughed. "Just because it happens to me, doesn't mean I can't enjoy it when it happens to others." Leaning down, to stare at Yang, he grinned. "Is this your first time being couched?"

"What?"

He made a vague gesture, face scrunching as he tried to think of how to explain it. "Like when the wife makes the husband sleep on the couch, y'know?"

Yang looked down. "Yeah..."

Patting her shoulder, he laughed easily. "Don't worry about it, too much. It happens to the best of us."

A scent of cooked food drifted into the air as a voice cut in. "What are you bothering them about now, Ghira?"

Looking over to his wife and bustling over to help with the plates she had, he greeted her. "Nothing much, dear. Just talking about mad spouses and uncomfortable couches."

Kali's ears flicked and a small smile formed. "Maybe if you weren't so adamant about being headstrong, you wouldn't have an issue." Walking past him, she passed a plate to Ruby with two forks, setting a second beside the pair on a jumbled pile of boxes. Behind her, Ghira was busy handing Weiss the other plates before moving to rest on the gunwale ( **1** ).

Moving to sit on the gunwale, beside him, Kali readjusted her own fork, digging into the fish on her plate. Normally she wouldn't make it two nights in a row, given what the married couple had eaten the night before, but, if the pleased hum from Blake was anything to go by, she could let it pass. Prodding the tuna absentmindedly, she glanced at her daughter and the team she was now on.

Her eyes finally settled on Ruby, the girl who had gone farther than any suitor she had had the pleasure, or displeasure (recalling a certain bullish Faunus) of meeting. Ruby was so vastly different from her daughter's other flings. Certainly the first Human of the bunch, not that she'd judge, and the first female too. She wasn't broody either, being a bright and cheery character, pulling the same from her daughter. Blake followed the girl listlessly and it was apparent the girl loved her too.

Even as they sat and ate, there was an intimate comfort between them. She had never seen her daughter truly at ease, except for a few rare instances, but this girl, no, woman had shaped her for the better. She watched as Ruby would occasionally place a few bites of food into Blake's mouth, all while blabbering about one thing or another. Blake just nodded along, smiling amusedly at the girl, adding her own two cents from time to time. Kali smiled too, prodding her husband and pointing at the two. His grizzled face brightened as he saw his daughter's happiness. Leaning over, he whispered. "They're quite the pair, Kali."

"Mmm." she hummed in agreement. "We should offer to let them stay the night." At his surprised look, she elaborated. "We already planned to ask Blake to stay, but you see how they look at each other. I'd doubt she'd stay if she had to go without Ruby for a night."

Ghira huffed, but there was malice in it. "No, she'd probably say yes, but she'd be upset about it. She knows we've missed her." Taking a quick bite to mull the thought over, he spoke again. "But yes, we should invite Ruby."

The two went back to eating and it wasn't before long that Ghira had cleaned his plate. Heading into the cabin to put the dish away, he returned with a large fishing rod in tow, another one, smaller, held in his off hand. As he jaunted over to Blake, whistling, he could feel the eye roll from his wife. "Really, Ghira? Now? Let the girl eat!"

He grinned wider and nudged the two girls on the barrel. "She seems to be managing fine without her hands. Maybe she can help her old man catch some to replenish our store."

Ruby's eyes went wide before she started bouncing excitedly. "Ooh! You never told us you knew how to fish, Blake. I know you said you liked to go out on boats, but never anything about fishing."

"It's nothing much, Ruby," Blake said, playing it down. "Dad is much better, anyways."

Laughing boisterously, he set her pole against the gunwale. "Experience! That's all it is. Now, come on, I'm sure there are a few biters in this port."

Hopping off of Blake's lap, Ruby pulled the girl up with one hand, setting the plate down with the other. "I wanna see this!" She smiled shyly at Ghira. "Maybe you could teach me how to, as well?"

Cue another laugh. "A real keeper, Kitten! She'll even catch you some fish."

Blake turned an interesting shade of red, using Ruby's cloak to hide. "Stop it, Dad."

Off to the side, Yang whooped. "Go on, Blake! Show us how it's done."

Weiss bopped Yang on the head. "You act like it's a competition, moron."

Blake shook her head, grabbing the rod before joining her father, who was opening an icebox. He handed her one of the pieces of bait before hooking one on his rod. "That a girl, Blake. Let's show these land lubbers how to live on the sea, yeah?"

Laughing softly, she shoved him playfully. "Aye aye, captain." Hooking her finger under the line, she cranked back the proper piece and jerked the rod forward, releasing the line and sending the hook a fair ways out.

Ghira's line wasn't long after, though cast a distance to the side. Tangled lines could confuse one for a potential bite and with the translucent wire, was fairly hard to untangle. While not what he was used to, the sight of two bobbers was a bit nostalgic. Back before he took his daughter fishing on open water, he taught her to use worms to catch smaller fish.

None of his usual prey would likely be in port, so their wormed lines would have to do. And work they did, as he noticed Blake's bobber dip under the water, followed by the instinctual jerk of her arms before he heard the reeling sound. "Lucky..." He muttered it under his breath, then joining the other girl's in cheering her on.

What she beached, was certainly not what he expected. A full grown Tuna. Which, when he thought about it, should've been impossible. Her line wasn't strong enough and her hook was nowhere near large enough. She looked rather pleased, though, so he'd let the insane luck pass. "I think you should get to keep that one."

The tuna flopped out of her arms and Ghira scooped it up, the writing creature having no hope to escape his grasp. "Watch my line. I'll get this one put away for you."

Blake nodded and turned her attention to his rod. Ruby shuffled over to her, watching the water. She squeaked in surprise when she felt Blake lean against her. The warmth of her girlfriend was pleasant and Ruby leaned back into the warmth. This was nice.

After a few moments, Ghira rejoined the party and reclaimed his rods, handing Blake her own, though she waved it off. She had already caught something and another fish would mean having to disengage from Ruby's arms that were now wound around her waist. So, they stood beside him, watching the man catch a handful of small biters, tossing a few back and placing the others in a bucket.

Behind them, Weiss and Yang shared stories about RWBY's adventures, ranging from the fight with the Nevermore, to the funny screams of Sun as Roman had chased him and Blake through the town. Yang had also shared some stories about Ruby's younger years, surprising both. It was a pleasant change for Weiss and Kali , hearing about the girl. This was Weiss' possible sister-in-law and likely Kali future daughter-in-law.

Slowly, but surely, the sun lowered in the sky, casting red streaks across the horizon and signaling for the girls to return to Beacon. As they made their way to leave, Ghira spoke. "Blake, Ruby, if I may." Both looked at him. "Would you like to stay the night? I'm sure Kali would love to catch up with you, Blake, and we'd both like to learn more about you, Ruby." He gave Blake a meaningful look. "It'd mean the world to us."

Looking at Ruby, Blake smiled at the hopeful look in those silver eyes. Nodding, she turned to her father. "We would love to." Waving to Weiss and Yang, she smiled. "We'll see you both tomorrow."

Yang laughed. "Don't go finding buried treasure without us. Maybe we could get some dubloons while we're lost on a deserted island."

Snapping a joking salute, Ruby nodded in faux seriousness. "Yes Ma'am!"

Kali smiled at the two. "Blake, why don't you show Ruby your room. I'll see your friends off."

Nodding, Blake took Ruby's hand and pulled the girl along. The younger teen just fell into pace, skipping merrily as she went.

As she led Weiss and Yang from the boat, she bid them a good evening. Weiss smiled at her and surprised the woman with hug. "It was nice to meet you, Misses Belladonna."

Returning the hug, she smiled. "And a pleasure to meet you, Weiss." Letting the girl go, she waved to both. "Have a pleasant night, you two."

"Will do," Yang replied easily.

Kali watched the two leave before walking in the same direction. Her goal wasn't them, however. She feigned hurry, as if she forgot something and needed to catch up. As she bustled along, she suddenly threw her arm out and catching her prey. A girlish squeak confirmed her success. Her amber eyes bearing down on a single jean blue orb. "Is there a reason you are following my daughter?"

The lone eye widened in confusion and fear. "What?" The girl bit out, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets and trying to shrink in on herself.

"My daughter," Kali said again. "Blake. I saw you watching us."

May paled. "Sorry. I kind of like her and Ruby and," she bowed her head. "My friends said I should try asking them both out. I saw you all in town and decided to follow and hopefully tell them about this."

Her expression softened at the girl's explanation. "Do you know them very well, yet?"

"Not really," May confessed. "But they've been really nice to others around the school and I've seen them reading in the library occasionally."

Kali nodded. "Alright, come on." She motioned for the girl to follow.

May stared. "Wha?"

"You want to get to know them, yes?" At the girl's nod, she started walking again. "Then you are joining us for tea. Before you say anything, I don't expect you to do anything you don't want to, but you seem nice enough." Her thoughts strayed to Adam. "Something my daughter could certainly use some more of in her life."

Jogging to catch up, May followed.

 **End...**

There's the chapter. Hope you enjoy. Quick note, read... READ **Stars and Constellations** by **Reaper Whisper**. It's a Little Dipper fic (RubyNebula), so odd pairing! Also, I did help edit it and I think it it rather well done. Remember to join the Kik or Discord chats, if you haven't yet. The codes can be found on my profile page. We have also managed to get Everhardt to join us, so the great ladybug senpai is in the group! HUZZAH!

Adieu for now!


	29. Chapter 29

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 29. This chapter is shorter than the last swathe of them. Regardless, I hope you enjoy.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Ghira was a bit surprised when Kali returned with a girl in a red jacket. Walking over, he took a look. "Something happen?"

Smiling at her husband, she nodded. "Just dropped something on the pier and she helped me, so I thought I'd get her a drink for her troubles."

"Shall I get the girls?"

"That would be appreciated, dear." Waving the girl to follow. "I'll show you to the kitchen."

May shuffled behind her, letting herself be led, while Ghira split from them, heading down a small set of stairs. His massive form dominated the halls of the ship. Despite the cramped feeling, it was well lit, so it felt open. Kali pressed a door open and motioned her in. "Take any seat. None of use are really too particular."

The sniper took a seat, while the Faunus went to work setting a pot on the stove after filling it with water. "Thank you."

A few minutes later, Ghira bustled into the kitchen, Ruby and Blake following after. He pulled a chair and sweeping it around to sit on it in reverse, resting his arms on the table. The couple looked at May, Ruby's eyes going wide. "You're the one from the Breach!"

Blake concurred. "The sniper, right?" she asked. "Thanks for the help there."

"So I'm not the only one she's helped," Kali mused. "I'm glad I offered you a drink for your help."

Playing along, May smiled awkwardly. "It wasn't much."

A small silence ensued before Blake remembered something. "You said something about a bookstore, if I remember. Was there anything interesting when you went?"

"Yes." May replied. "I managed to find some rather interesting stories. One that caught my eye was called Ninjas of Love or something." Scratching the back of her head, she smiled. "Not sure why the lady at the register looked at me weird. Isn't just a book about ninjas and romance."

Blake coughed, blushing at the knowing looks of the other three in the room. "Not exactly."

"From what I had read," Ghira started. "It's basically smut, though my daughter will vehemently deny that. What'd she call it, Kali?"

"Adult Literature," replied the Faunus woman. " _Very_ adult, indeed."

Ruby snickered, recalling something. "Now that's a katana." The others laughed while May looked down at the cup that Kali had just set in front of her.

The steaming drink blew up a pleasant scent that she breathed in, letting it soothe her anxiety. Her smile eased and she laughed too. "Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to keep it from my team. Don't want those idiots getting any ideas."

"Speaking of," Blake added. "Where are you from? I assume you're to compete in the festival."

May shrugged. "Yeah, seems that way. I'm from Shade Academy, in Vacuo. That said, we're not exactly the favored to win among the Shade Teams."

"Why?" Ruby asked innocently.

A small smile formed on May's lip. "Team NDGO is the best team from our school. They're all really good on their own, but the synergy they have is what makes them hard to beat. Perks of their situation."

Ghira looked rather curious. "Situation?"

Coughing awkwardly, the sniper nodded. "They're together. Like, all of them, romantically. I know them personally and it's no joke. They really care for one another."

Ruby's silver eyes went wide. "Four people in a relationship?"

May nodded, averting her eyes. "Polygamy isn't usually regarded well in Vale, but in places like Vacuo it's a fair bit more common."

"Do you personally agree with it?" Blake asked. There was no malice in her voice. She was honestly curious.

Picking at her hoodie, she looked down at the fabric, avoiding the golden eyes. "Team NDGO are my best friends. If I had an issue with the issue, I'd not associate with them." Her voice lowered. "Besides, they're inspiring me to do the same," she whispered.

Ghira and Blake both glanced at each other. While Ruby or Ghira may not have heard, they had the Faunus trait to pick up on the statement. An encouraging smile from Kali steeled Blake. "May, may I speak to you in private real quick?"

Not sure why, May nodded. "Um, yeah?" Standing up, she waited for Blake to rise and followed her into the hall.

Ruby watched them leave. "Should I go with them?"

Kali shook her head. "No, let Blake handle this."

Blake turned to face May as soon as the door close, her voice low and slightly mad. "Are you following me and Ruby, then?"

"What?"

A pair of cat ears flickered. "I heard what you whispered. Something about NDGO inspiring you to do the same. Now, are you following me and Ruby because of that."

Trying to make an excuse, it died on her lips. She ran through a number of excuses, but tears came to her eyes as her frustration grew. Slipping down to the floor, she put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry."

Crouching down, Blake leaned down and looked into the girl's eye. "For what? Being attracted to someone, or well, someones in this case... That's hardly a crime."

"Then why ask me about it?" May snapped. What was Blake trying to do? Confuse her?

"Vacuo isn't the only one prone to polygamy," came the clipped response. When May looked at her, Blake smiled. "Menagerie has had its fair share of ménage à trois and other such arrangements."

May blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you helped us." Blake sighed. "And you feel a lot like us. While Ruby may be more easily excited, we both still have our reserved moments and you like books." At May's stunned look, she chuckled. "Not the best reason, but it would be unfair not to give you a chance."

"You accepting this idea is a bit strange..."

Blake shrugged. "The later years of my childhood were shit." It was delivered with no sugar coating. Her parents weren't to blame for it either. The White Fang and its change of leadership had effectively put an early end to any semblance of a childhood. "Sorry if I seem a bit greedy for happiness." Shaking her head, she smiled. "I'll talk to Ruby about it later. If you'd do so, can you add your number to my scroll?"

The Faunus held out the device in question. May accepted it. "No trouble." Typing her info in, she handed it back.

The scroll was put away and Blake stood, helping May up. "We should get back in there."

May smiled in return. "Yeah."

 **End...**

And there we are. Hope you enjoyed. Remember to check out the Discord Server or Kik Chat, the info for which is on my profile page. The Discord Server is growing slowly and it's pretty cool. I hope you guys will join.

Adieu for now!


	30. Chapter 30

Yo Peeps, GMG here with... CHAPTER 30! Another limit broken for myself.

May joining isn't gonna be immediate. Seriously. Blake just said she'd talk to Ruby about, not that they'd get with her. A chance, not a guarantee.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

May left a while later, promising to see them again. After everyone had finished their drinks, they decided to turn in for the night. Hands clasped, Blake led Ruby through the ship before opening a door and pulling her inside. A small room greeted them. Ruby had been surprised earlier at the lack of bookshelves, but when Blake mentioned the unpredictable movement of a ship on the water, the plastic crates made sense.

The black plastic was perforated with large holes, showing the spines of the books stacked inside. Hooks in the wall, near the floor were hooked through the holes to hold them in place. Blake's bed looked relatively normal, pressed up against a wall. Though unseen, she knew that the posts of the bed were nailed into the floor. One side of the bed had a contraption on the side that flipped up to act like a barrier.

While some people, like the Schnees, had expensive ships with certain rooms that had some gyroscopic design to keep the room always stable, others did not. Blake's parents had a relatively basic ship, so they had to improvise solutions to issues having to do with churning waters. Most of it was learned through experience and one of the first lessons was to tie everything down in some way. Thus the book boxes and their hooks.

Glancing at the bed, then at Ruby, a problem popped up in Blake's mind. The younger teen didn't have a change of clothes to sleep in. Luckily, due to her occasional visits to her parents, she had some spare outfits here. A similar piece of clothing to her usual kimono was tossed onto the bed as she searched for something good for Ruby. Not really a fan of pajama pants, there was nothing she could do for that, but she did pull out a faded black and purple shirt and smiled.

"I don't have any bottoms to offer for sleeping, so maybe your leggings?" Blake suggested, offering the shirt. "This is the best I have, given I really only have the one kimono."

Ruby took the offered shirt and pecked Blake's cheek. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to do it, but the sweet gesture was worth it. A small wave rocked the boat and Ruby's little balance was compromised and she fell against Blake, the older girl's arms wrapping around her. When she was once more standing on her own, she giggled. "I guess that I've truly fallen for you."

An annoyed sound escaped Blake's throat. "Don't become a second Yang. One is enough."

Ruby shrugged and sat on the bed, unlacing her boots. Her fingers worked through the tightened cords with practiced ease, systematically slipping under the crossed strings and yanking them looser. Finishing up one, she glanced at Blake as she pulled it off. The Faunus was bent over, unbuttoning her own shoes. The button were handled in short work and she kicked them off after she stood. One skittered across floor a bit too far and Blake huffed in annoyance.

Certain mistakes, Ruby realized, were blessings. Blake walked over to the wayward shoe and bent over to pick it up, giving the cloaked girl a very nice view of Blake's ass-ets. 'There's definitely more than one full moon tonight' Ruby thought. Staring at her girlfriends perfectly rounded ass, her mind wandered and her grip on her boost was lost, the sole thudding as it hit the ground, causing Blake to turn around. Seeing Ruby's glassy-eyed stare, she winked at the girl.

Ruby blushed before returning to the task of unlacing her other boot. After it too was unlaced, she sat it down beside the other one, using her foot to nudge them aside as she brought her hand up to unclasp her cloak. The fabric pooled behind her and she turned to lift it, loosely folding it, before placing it atop her boots.

Next, Ruby stood. She didn't notice Blake's watching eyes as she unlaced her corset and pulled it off, leaving just the combat skirt. Unzipping it from the top, she pulled down until it stopped at just below her breasts. Reaching up, she pushed the fabric from her shoulders and pulling her arms from the sleeves.

She jolted when Blake's hands hooked around the opened fabric, brushing against her covered breasts. Blake pressed a soft kiss against Ruby's lips before easing the fabric down, the skirt pooling around her ankles, leaving Ruby in her underwear and stockings. Blake herself wasn't in much more. If anything, her hair was more messy from removing her black scarf.

Lithe arms encircled Blake neck as Ruby planted a soft kiss on the older girl's lip. She gasped when Blake pushed her down onto the bed, letting her down gently, golden eyes flashing mischievously. Blake kissed her again. "Good night, Ruby."

Ruby pouted, but released the Faunus. Blake settled down beside her before catching the comforter at the end of the bed with her foot, pulling it up and grabbing it in her hand, bringing it the rest of the way up to cover the couple. The younger teen shifted, resting her head on Blake's chest, snaking an arm over the girl. "'Night, Blake."

Blake hummed. As her eyes closed, a flash of red and white burst into sight in her mind. "Oh!"Her eyes opened suddenly. "I almost forgot."

"What?"

Tilting Ruby's head up with a hand, so she could look at the girl, she spoke. "That May girl from earlier. Remember how I pulled her aside for a moment?" Ruby nodded. "It had to do with something she said. Team NDGO was giving her the courage to pursue a similar relationship to what they have."

"I don't get what's so weird about it, Blake," Ruby replied. "Like she said, it's common enough in Vacuo."

"And Menagerie," Blake added. "But not in Patch, from your reaction."

Ruby nodded. "Well, yeah, but that's only from what I've seen. Why would Patch make a difference?" she asked, wondering what her home had to do with things. Then again, why would Blake's home need to be brought up. It clicked. "Ohhhhh."

Blake hummed in agreement. "She's interested in us. I confronted her about possibly following us. Her being here was a bit odd and I doubt Mom really let her on for a drink. May did confess to liking us."

"What did you say?" Ruby didn't seem upset. At least, Blake hoped she wasn't.

Golden eyes locked with silver. "That I'd speak to you about it." Sighing, she found one of Ruby's hands with her own, twining them together. "Keep in mind that it's relatively normal where I'm from. Regardless, it's your decision in this. I'm content with whatever you choose."

A frown set upon Ruby's lips. "Why are you okay with this? Aside from it being normal." She booped Blake's nose. "I know it's not just because Menagerie has such relationships as a normal thing."

"Because of all the negativity before Beacon." The reply was completely honest. "Before Team RWBY and after I left my parents to join the White Fang, so much went south and I keep wanting nice things. The team, Beacon, our friends, _you_... All these nice things are suddenly a part of my life and I just want more. I'm tired of the discrimination and you all have accepted me." Blake shook slightly, tears pricking at her eyes. "I'm sorry if it's selfish, but you all have been so much to me."

"Ok."

Blake looked at Ruby. "What?"

Wiping the tears from the girl's eyes, Ruby grinned. "I said 'okay', Blake. Besides, May sn't the worst possible choice." A smile pulled at Ruby's lips. "If it works out, you know we'd likely talk your ears off." She glanced up at Blake's cat ears. "All four of them."

A rueful smile painted Blake's expression. Her tone dripped with sarcasm. "Oh gods, what have I unleashed?"

Ruby laughed before her expression turned somber. "I am glad the team means so much to you Blake." Squeezing her girlfriend's hand reassuringly, her expression turned to determined. "I promise to make you as happy as can be."

Blake laughed, smiling at that. "You already do," she replied sweetly. "You already do." Placing one last kiss on Ruby's lip, she leaned back on her pillow. Ruby settled down as well and, with an unspoken exchange, the two drifted to sleep.

 **End...**

Sorry for that being a bit longer in wait than the last few chapters. I had initially thought of adding a lemon in this chapter, but given some conflicts I had with it, I scrapped the idea. Shoot and Run won't be next chapter immediately. I can still do some stuff before they get together and I will hopefully get it done.

Recommended Story: Just Across The Hall by **kaiju62**. It's a pretty well written Greek Fire fic (PyrrhaYang) and I only found it due to my own, really old, writing for the ship. They contacted me over a follow, of all things, and it reminded me of their story. Looking at it, I thought it could use some more support, so my recommendation!

Not much else to say. Adieu for now!


	31. Chapter 31

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 31 of PR. It's been almost a month now, but, as always, much has been happening. Pokemon Moon version had me wasting days away with shiny hunting and completing the pokedex (which I did, so huzzah!). The last week and a half has been visiting family and setting up part of what I wish to do with my life. **READ THE END AN PLEASE.** It will explain something that you might be interested in, but for now, story time.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Morning arrived and Ruby was first to wake. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she let her gaze take in the room again, the bleariness fading as she got more focus. Rolling over, she planted an arm underneath her to try and push herself up, only to flop back down. Face pressed against the sheets, she groaned. Stupid tired arms, refusing to let her up. She rolled again, this time, her back resting on the barrier for the bed. A yawn pulled from her throat and she felt a familiar sensation. "Oh no..."

A quick sense of weightlessness came and went, then a loud thud as her body contacted the floor. Another groan escaped her lips; this one from pain. Blake jolted awake at the sudden noise, amber eyes searching for the source, soon catching sight of a pouting Ruby. "Happened again?"

Now fully awake, Ruby sat up, tenderly holding her side. "Yep. Stupid semblance always causing trouble." Standing up, she stretched with a grimace. "First time in a while that I've been ejected from bed."

Blake hummed in agreement. "It has been a few months." Sitting up, her hands found the release for the barrier and it swung down with a clack. Helping Ruby, she smiled. "We should probably get something to eat before heading back to Beacon."

Taking a glance at herself, Ruby realized she was still wearing one of Blake's kimonos. "I think I need to borrow another outfit, Blake."

A few minutes later and a slightly too big outfit was handed to her. A pair of black slacks that were just a tad too long, and a purple tank top that didn't fit too horribly. Of course, Blake had looked her over, once her white cloak was added to the mix and nodded appreciatively. It made her happy to see Ruby wearing something of hers. It made their relationship all the more real to the Faunus.

Searching through her things, she finally found an old bag she had used for toting books from any of the places she managed to procure them. Grabbing Ruby's discarded clothing from the night before, she took them and stowed them in the bag, hooking it over a shoulder. Leaning down, she grabbed her own outfit and folded it, placing it away. She had others of the monochrome outfit at Beacon, so leaving one behind wasn't a major deal. She could always come back for it, anyways.

Clothing all settled, the two made their way to the kitchen from the night before. Ruby was sat again at the table, while Blake bustled about the small kitchenette. Pans were set out onto the stove top, bowls and ingredients laid out on the counters. A coffee pot was set under the familiar device for the brewing of any non-morning person's salvation.

A pleasant storm of smells began churning in the air, eliciting a growl of hunger from Ruby's stomach. When the coffee filled the pot at last, Blake set it on the table, placing the cream next to it and a small plate of sugars next to the cream. Turning back to the cooking surface, she heard the expected sound of five sugars being dropped into the coffee, before the cream was poured heavily. Trust Ruby to ingest enough sugar to give anyone else a cavity.

Blake pushed around the eggs in the pan she held, before setting the turner aside and opening a cupboard. She set the pan on a free burner that wasn't in use, before reaching up and grabbing two plates. Setting them on the counter, she returned her attention to the eggs and split them amongst the two plates.

Not a minute later, the couple were sat at the table, eating. Scrambled eggs, toast, the whole stereotypical breakfast. Blake didn't really mind it, given it was about all she knew how to make when it came to breakfast. Her mom had taught her some traditional Menagerie dishes, given how much fish was involved, given how close her home had been to the ocean.

Ruby noticed the reminiscent look on her girlfriends face. Prodding Blake's shoulder, she flashed a smile at the faunus. "Lien for your thoughts?"

"Just thinking of home." Blake prodded her eggs idly. "It's been awhile since I've been back and it'd be nice to see it again."

Nodding, Ruby spoke. "I miss Patch sometimes, so I can understand that." Her expression brightened. "Where in Menagerie did you live?"

A small, cramped marketplace popped up in Blake's mind. "Kuo Kuana. It's not a big town and it's mostly a port, really. It's not as nice as Vale, but it's beautiful. The houses are all so warm and friendly, as opposed to the soaring structures of other places."

"Maybe we can visit someday?" Ruby prompted.

Blake smiled. "That would be lovely. Maybe all of us can go."

Ruby placed her hand on Blake's. "After the tournament, we can do it. I mean, we could find some way to do it."

"I think we could help with that," came a new voice. Both turned to see Kali standing in the doorway. The woman gestured vaguely around her. "We do have a boat."

Shaking her head, Blake frowned. "But what about work? Surely you guys don't have enough business here to justify waiting."

Kali laughed. "We're quite alright Blake. We had planned to stay anyways. Your father and I didn't wish to miss seeing you in this tournament. While I'm not the biggest fan of fighting, I know it's something integral to who you are. My little Belladonna flower has her thorns."

Ruby snickered. "I've heard that same thing a lot." Yang came to mind, as well as her father. Both took every opportunity to poke fun at the Rose part of her name.

The fact must've registered with Blake, as she laughed too. "I can only imagine how often Yang has made jokes about that."

Skirting around the table, Kali picked up a few of the pans and discarded them into the sink. Turning the tap on, she located the soap and sponge. She heard a chair behind her start scooting and shook her head in bemusement. "Sit back down, Blake."

"I can handle the dishes, Mom," Blake argued. "I made the mess."

Kali hummed lightly. "Yes, but you have a guest. I can handle the dishes. I don't want to take you away from your girlfriend."

"Mom..."

"Shush, dear." Practiced hands set to work on the dishes. "Why don't you two go get Ghira. He's taking care of a few things on the deck, but he hasn't eaten yet. Send him down here, okay?"

Ruby grabbed Blake's hand and smiled. "Yes Ma'am!"

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The two found Blake's father unloading various barrels and crates. Each bore a brand on the wooden shells, denoting what was what among the sea of containers. He looked up from his work, when he heard footsteps. "Ah, Blake, Ruby, what can I do for you two?" He set down the barrel that rested over his shoulder and ruffled both girls' hair playfully.

"Mom sent us up to get you," Blake explained.

Ghira nodded. "Probably for breakfast, I imagine." He noted the bag over Blake's shoulder. "Heading back to the school?"

"Yeah, but I'll be sure to visit in the next few days." Blake smiled. "It's nice to see you again." Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around the bear of a man that was her father. His own grin dwarfed her own as he returned the embrace.

He laughed jovially. "Yes, dear, it truly is a gift to see you." Letting her go, he ruffled her hair again. "Come back soon." His gaze drifted over to Ruby. "And you, Miss Rose. I hope to see more of you here. I haven't seen my daughter smile in the last few years as much as she did in the last twenty-four hours. Now, I'll go see what Kali has made." He turned to leave, but stopped. "Before you leave, I need to go grab that tuna for you."

Needless to say, Beacon had two students returned to it later that day, along with a large amount of tuna being added to Team RWBY's personal store of food.

 **End...**

So it's been awhile. I hope you enjoyed this filler chapter. I'll work on thinking up some more ideas and then get started on the tournament and assimilating May into this madness.

As for the important part. **Please Read.**

I have recently purchased an Xbox One and a headset with which to stream. I wanted to let you all know about this, seeing as I thought that some number of you might be interested. Currently, I only really have Overwatch to stream and, thankfully, I'm able to stream rather consistently at the current moment. After this chapter is posted I'll be putting a rough schedule of stream times.

For more accurate information, I'll be tweeting out when I start streaming. My twitter is GateMasterGreen, so it's not that difficult to locate. I'll be posting the Twitch link there as I stream and try to put it up on my profile page along with the schedule.

Also, the Discord chat is still active. While writing the chapter was being written, a few of us were spitballing ideas of Ladybug AUs and some other funny things. Namely, Pirate Blake- Queen of Booty.

Also, I'll be trying to stream about half an hour after this chapter goes out.

 **Blaine and Vanta's names will be replaced in the previous chapters tomorrow (January 7, 2017) for those who are confused about Ghira and Kali being used.**

Adieu for now!


	32. Chapter 32

Yo Peeps, GMG here with another chapter for PR. Long wait, but my laziness aside, this was actually supposed to be released a few days prior, but I got sick... like horrible coughing and pain and stuff. Not an excuse, just why it's a few days later than an already late ass attempt. Either way, LATE. On a side note...

Aside from Bloodstained Chess Board, which is currently sitting at 175,765 views, Phantom Rose has overtaken Ship Shape by a few hundred views and is sitting pretty at 126,796 views. It is my second most viewed story.

That said, it has been the most popular in all other stats, excluding Communities, but that's not a huge ass deal to me. 315 Reviews, 471 Favorites, 677 Follows.

This story is also the only one to have broken 30 Chapters, and with this chapter, the only one to break the 50,000 word count.

I don't normally point out stats and stuff, but with all these milestones, I wanted to give a huge thanks to all of you reading this story and putting up with a lot of the shit I've done. I know that so many people want chapters for Autumn Fallout as well, but this needs to finish first. It's nowhere near done yet, so... with that said.

ONWARDS TO THE CHAPTER!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Winter Schnee wasn't much a person for crowds. People shoving past one another and one person or another bumping and colliding with others in the throng of disorganized busy bodies. With a grimace, she carefully slipped around another party of raucous people. The things she did for her sister. She didn't like it sure, but she would endure for the short while it would take to get to her seat. It was Weiss' first entry into the Vytal Festival and it was important to the heiress, so it was important to Winter by default.

As she passed some of the entryways into the central area of the Amity Coliseum, she caught glimpses of the large crows settling into the stands ringing the combat platform. The entire structure was honestly the size of a village or a town. Considering the number of people it has to house for the festival, it hardly surprised her, but the scale did leave her in awe.

When she reached her destination, she noticed a familiar cocky grin and stiffened. Qrow Brawnwen, bearing two cups of coffee raised them in a "Don't shoot, Officer" sort-of way. "Cool it, Winter. Not here to fight with you or bicker. With Ruby, Yang, and Weiss having a match today, we both have some important people in there." He held a coffee towards her. "A truce for a day or two wouldn't kill either of us." When he noticed her sceptical look, he chuckled. "There's no booze, Schnee. I'd actually like to remember my niece kicking some ass."

Taking the proffered cup, she nodded. "A truce, then." Following as he turned to walk towards the stands, she smiled. "This doesn't make us friends, though."

"Don't doubt it for a second."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Team RWBY made their way onto the combat platform, ready to face their opponents for the first round of the Vytal Festval Tournament. To say Ruby was nervous, was putting it lightly. A reassuring squeeze of her hand from Blake caused her to smile. They'd do fine. Of course, her and Blake had also made some headway with her semblance in the last week since they returned from the night they spent with Blake's parents.

She was able to do some small things; mostly pertaining to phasing one of her limbs into an incorporeal state for a short while. She wasn't able to make other thing's do the same, with two exceptions: her Crescent Rose and Blake. She had tried to pass the trait onto Yang for a short while, but with no success, whereas it was rather instinctual with Blake. It was actually easier for any side of her ghostly semblance to work if Blake was in the near area or making contact with Ruby.

The noise from the crowd was a bit ridiculous, though. Even from this distance, with their lower position, the roar of noise was seemed to funnel into the center. Ruby rubbed her temples, trying to force back the oncoming head ache, while Blake seemed even worse off. Hugging the Faunus, she reassured her that it wouldn't be too much longer.

Thankfully, the other team arrived at that moment. Fronting the group was a teen with grey hair and a severe expression on his somewhat tanned features. He wore black pants and a tanktop that was a grey-white at the top and faded into a muted purple at the bottom. This was Brawnz Ni, leader of Team BRNZ.

To Ni's right stood another male with burnt red hair and a blue and black hoodie, with pants similar in color to his hair. This was Nolan Porifirio. Opposite him was the dark-skinned Roy stallion, garbed in a green vest, black undershirt, and comfortable white pants.

Standing awakardly behind the group, covering her ears and wincing, was the familiar, jacket wearing form of May Zedong. Her beanie still covering her one eye, she looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw Team RWBY. She groaned, drawing her team's attention. "Aw, man."

"Something wrong, May?" Brawnz asked.

She shrugged. "Didn't think I'd have to fight some new friends, is all." She smiled, trying to look confident. "Should be fun, yeah?"

Roy huffed. "As long as we win." He winced when Nolan elbowed him.

"Ease up, man. It's not life or death, if we lose."

"No, just humiliation in front of the entire world."

On the other side, Team RWBY was having a chat of their own. Yang of course, taking the time to poke fun at the various names of the other team. Weiss was glaring at her, but the blonde didn't seem to notice. " **May** be we'll get to see what May is **may** de of. Roy might be a **roy** al pain. We can attack Nolan from the sides and hope his Porifirio vision isn't great. And with Weiss, we can show them that brains is better than Brawnz."

Weiss punched Yang, not gently either. "Shut up." When she got an insufferable grin in return, she could only really roll her eyes, trying not to return the smile. "You really don't know when to quit, do you."

Yang shrugged. "I take it as a positive thing."

"Only you would."

The sound of the terrain randomizer whirring to life brought all focus to the battle coming. Each team preparing as the two halves of the platform changed into a forest and more... forest? Honestly, Team RWBY wasn't going to complain about the familiarity of the trees, while the students of Shade would have to be more prepared for this situation. Of the four, only May looked remotely okay with it. In fact, she was hopping in place, smiling.

Ruby knew exactly why, a similar bubbly feeling inside her chest. So much cover for either teams' snipers. She looked at Weiss and Yang. "You two think you can handle those three for a bit? Blake and I are gonna work on taking out May."

Yang smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Of course we can, little sis. It's been a little while since the dance, but I'm sure Weiss and I can give them some refresher courses."

"You say that as if you know how to be graceful," Weiss snarked back. "But she is right, we can take them for a while."

The signal came and both teams went into action. May bolted back into the forest, whilst her team charged forward, trying to give her time to find a position. As they closed in on Ruby and Blake, who were closest, Roy brought one of his saws up and took a swing.

Ruby waved, her other hand clasped in Blake's. Then, in a flicker of black and red, the duo was gone. Roy stumbled, not expecting it at all and flinched as a golden fist implanted it's way into his stomach and he heard a click. In the next moment, he heard a whir of sound under him and then a loud bang.

Weiss had to hand it to Ruby, that bit of surprise had just doomed one of the three. With a combination of the force of a round from Ember Celica and one of the Schnee's own glyphs, combined with no way to cancel the momentum, Roy Stallion was summarily launched from the arena and was planted into the field around the platform.

Now, it was a two-on-two. Knowing that she and Yang weren't slouches in close combat, given their choice in weapons, this was a favorable situation. Ember Celica was more threatening then the claws Brawnz bore and if the crackle she heard was what she thought, then Nolan was wielding had to be energized in some way. She had the range, but he had more movement options with the weapon itself. Her glyphs helped somewhat, but she couldn't let him close the gap.

Glancing over to Yang, she curtsied. "Shall we, dear?"

Cocking her gauntlet, Yang grinned. "Let's dance, Princess."

With a glyph placed, Yang launched herself forward towards Brawnz at twice her normal click. She didn't have time to bring her weapons back in front of her and he didn't have time to react. She turned as best she could and hit him with the hardest shoulder check that many in the crowd had ever seen. It hurt like hell for Yang, but from the wheeze she heard from Ni, it was probably worse for him as they tumbled across the ground before he slammed into a tree. As she stumbled to her feet, heat starting to pool in her stomach, she looked at the score board and blinked in surprise. Damn, she hit him that hard? He dropped almost 40 percent in one blow.

She watched him stand up, clutching at his chest. "Now," she started. "Are you gonna be a proper gentleman and ask me to dance, or am I going to have to persuade you?" When he glared, her smile widened. "Good."

With her semblance kicking in, she felt a bit reckless and beckoned him on. He stuck forward, punching her in the gut, but she laughed and kicked him back. "You hit like a girl!"

He grinned as he rolled back onto his feet. "Is that so?" Running at her again, he leapt up and brought an arm down in a slashing motion at her head.

Ember Celica came up, one arm bracing the other as his open palm collided with the metal. Yang gasped at the impact as she was forced to her knees. She heard him land and barely had time to reposition her arms as his free hand swung around, this time resulting in her being sent from her feet and into a tree. Anger building, she pushed off and started swinging at him, enraged.

Brawnz grinned, thinking that anger would cloud her thoughts. Which, for most people would be true. For Yang? She thought clearer when angry. She also hit harder, so... Brawnz was in for a rude awakening when she began to return blows of equal strength to his own. His semblance gave him a physical edge with increased strength he could usually end a battle in a blow or two, but this woman seemed to get stronger as he tried to beat her down.

What kind of monster was Yang Xiao Long? He tried to beat her down, but she was just as nimble as him and with what few hits he landed as they traded blows, she hardly looked phased, but rather seemed to be gaining momentum. He was tiring fast and she showed no signs of stopping. Yang noticed this and pushed even harder. Her semblance wouldn't last for much longer and her aura was burning up fast, something he hadn't noticed.

Stomping the ground, to get the footing, she planted one fist into his guard in an uppercut, pushing everything into it as she clicked the trigger of her weapon, breaking his guard and deleting what remained of his aura. He fell back and thudded onto the ground. Breathing heavily, she stumbled in place before slumping to her knees, the air rushing out of her as the flames of her semblance went out in a whoosh. She looked up and saw both her and his bars were in the red. A double elimination.

With Weiss, she rolled her eyes in annoyance as she heard Oobleck's voice announce the elimination of Brawnz and, moments after, Yang from the match. Of course the blonde would over do it. Her own match was laughably easy. Nolan hadn't the speed to keep up with her, nor could he outmatch her range. His semblance wasn't of much help either and he was steadily being pushed lower and lower into his reserves. Finishing him off with a parry, she disarmed him and depleted his aura with a thrust into his shoulder.

Taking a relaxing breath, she turned her attention to the trees. There were rustles and the sound of gunfire rapidly peeling to and fro among the canopy.

If it was madly paced to her, it was even more frantic for those involved. Blake and Ruby were chasing after May, the sniper proving incredibly elusive. She, like Ruby, seemed to possess a semblance for speed, though most of her movement had to do with quick burst of movement as she leapt from branch to branch, whereas Ruby was just quick in a general sense of movement.

She was only keeping pace with the two due to using Gambol Shroud's ribbon to swing herself after them. They hadn't managed to catch her yet, but they'd also maintained closeness enough to prevent her from taking shots. If she slowed at all, just to turn and shoot, they'd be upon May in an instant.

Suddenly, ahead of them, a large wall of ice sprouted up, bisecting the forest. Oobleck's voice rang out, announcing Weiss' drop from the match. It helped, though. With nowhere to run, May had no choice but to fight.

The sniper hit the ground and rolled into standing position. As Ruby and Blake launched down after her, she shifted her grip on her rifle, spinning it similar to a staff, using it to knock aside Crescent Rose and block a swing from Blake. Stepping back, she let the rifle spin further before tightening her grasp, hands settling into a position long enough for her to fire a shot at the Faunus.

Too her surprise, it passed right through. Ruby leap frogged over Blake, swinging her scythe down as she came. May used her rifle to shrug the strike off to the side. Kicking Ruby back, she scrambled to the right as Blake followed with another swing of Gambol Shroud. Crouching, she went for a sweep, causing Blake to jump back. Bringing her rifle up, she took another shot, grimacing as Crescent Rose flew into the path, deflecting the round and wheeling towards her. Readjusting her grip on her rifle, May pressed the butt of the gun, a hiss emitting as a pistol disengaged. The grip wasn't exactly comfortable, given that it normally rested against the shoulder, but it was necessary to use at times.

Her rifle hissed further as she leaped back, shifting about and becoming a shape more friendly for wielding in one hand. Mostly, any stabilizing materials that were used to withstand the sniper's recoil were shed and the magazine was swapped for something more appropriate to the lighter frame.

Ruby was an exception to a widely known stereotype, in which snipers were horrible at close range. Her weapon was a massive ass scythe too, so it was a bit more believable that she could handle melee situations. May, wielding two guns, was holding her and Blake back better than either Yang or Weiss could.

She was fast, with sharp eyes... eye and her reaction time was scary. As she and Blake assaulted the sniper, it became apparent; Blake was losing this fight. Even with all the mix ups and feints that her phantoms could pull, May saw through them and was outpacing the Faunus. Only Ruby was keeping up and keeping Blake from being too heavily punished for any openings.

"Blake, step back." Ruby yelled. May's eyes narrowed as the Faunus backed off and Ruby slammed a new clip into her weapon, a low hum stirring in the air. Petals began to peel off of Ruby's cloak, shifting from white into blood red.

May reassembled her rifle, shifting into a defensive stance as a manic grin settle onto Ruby's face. The girl flickered for a second and May thought it was her speed semblance kicking in. It was, sort of. Ruby flickered again before disappearing.

A blur of motion swirled around May and she, even with one of the sharpest visions in all of Remnant, couldn't keep track of the other speedster. Not completely, anyways.

Blake watched in awe as both girls clashed. When Ruby had finally struck, May had blocked, only for Crescent Rose to pass through and force the other girl to retreat a step. May looked down at her weapon, the surface unmarred. Didn't the scythe cut through? Apparently not, which meant... "Two semblances," she whispered.

She brought her rifle behind her, not even looking as she heard metal clang. Dropping her rifle, she kicked off the ground, shoving into the locked weapons, throwing Ruby off balance and making her lose grip on the scythe.

Both girls went tumbling and rolled into upright positions. They both knew they were useless without their weapon, but neither cared. Blake moved to help, but both girl's slammed a fist into the other's face and both fell, Oobleck's voice announcing yet another double elimination. Shaking her head in amusement, she stalked over to Ruby and knelt beside her, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately.

They had won.

 **End...**

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. This was longer than I thought it'd be. Anything over 2k words tends to surprise me. All I really have for this end note is to check out the Discord chat if you haven't, review if you want, and all that good stuff. PM me any questions and, I guess... Adieu!

brawnz- claws

nolan- electric baton

roy- circular saws that can be shot


	33. Chapter 33

Yo Peeps, GMG back with the next chapter of PR. Only two things to handle, pertaining to reviews.

A guest asked why Weiss was eliminated. Summoning a giant ass wall of ice takes some serious energy. Given there were three members of RWBY to BRNZ's one, she figured that she could give the other two an edge and they'd still have a numerical edge, which proved handy when Ruby and May knocked each other out.

A quick thanks to Jack Inqu. Aside from the nice things you said, this actually has to do with the comment "Hopefully there aren't any hard feelings." It gave me an idea...

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Normally, the best thing to do after a battle was to rest. Team RWBY wasn't very normal, nor was there company. Team BRNZ sat with them at noodle stand set up in the fair below the Amity Coliseum. Yang was laughing boisterously, having an animated conversation with Roy and Brawnz, the two guys laughing along.

Weiss and Nolan's conversation wasn't anywhere near as loud, but he seemed appreciative as she gave him a critique of his attempt to take her down. He wasn't incredibly prideful and help was appreciated.

Ruby, Blake, and May were speaking lowly, debating about one novel or another. The initial reason for the volume had actually been when may had brought up having read the first volume of the Ninjas of Love. Blake had lit up and started chatting earnestly with the sniper, Ruby giggling beside her.

May smiled as she discussed with Blake about the... plot. Well, it did have some. She was honestly surprised by the story having some actual substance. From what Ghira and Kali had been implying she thought it'd be little more than porn. It had plot and the characters were multifaceted.

"Mind if we join in, boys?" A voice asked, grabbing some attention from the table.

Brawnz turned, chortling still from Yang's latest crack and nodded with a grin at the newcomers. "Of course, ladies. Team NDGO is always welcome to join us."

Nebula, Dew, Gwen, and Olivia all returned the smile, sitting in the last swathe of four chairs. Ruby, who sat closest to them, turned and greeted them. "May told us about you girls."

Nebula nodded, flicking her purple hair out of her eyes, the one long portion resting against her temple. "I'm not surprised. I'm Nebula," she said, holding out a hand.

Ruby took it. "Ruby."

Introductions were handled in the next few minutes and noodles were ordered. As they were dished out, they were paid for and summarily devoured. Even Weiss, with her propriety, had to struggle not to inhale it, like a certain blonde was. Yang wasn't even the worse. Ruby and May were snickering as Blake seemed to annihilate her own bowl, laden with numerous fish.

The heiress rolled her eyes before turning back to her own bowl. After a few minutes, she looked up to see Gwen smiling flirtatiously. "Hello!~"

Yang looked up, having heard someone use her patented greeting. When she saw the other blonde flirting with Weiss, she growled. "She's taken," she grit out.

Gwen laughed. "I know, I was gonna ask if you both would like to hang out with us four."

Nebula pushed the girl playfully. "Ignore her. She's a firtatious minx by trade. I'd swear it was her semblance if it weren't for other things."

To her side, Olivia laughed. "Anyone who knew would ask you just which of those "other things" you were referring to."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Lunch finished, the teams parted ways, May straying from her own team to join RWBY. The five walked about the fair for a while before Yang took Weiss by the arm and spirited her away from the others, laughing at the half-hearted protests from the heiress. She waved at Ruby as she left. "Y'all girls have fun!"

Blake watched with a dry sort of amusement. "Do you think she knows?"

A shake of the head from Ruby gave her an answer. "No, besides, we're not all together together. That's just Yang being Yang."

May looked a bit downtrodden at that last part. A hand on her shoulder made her look up, her eye meeting Blake's golden ones. "The only reason for that is so we can get to know you better first. We don't want to jump into things and I doubt you want to either."

"Yeah," May replied. "I get that." Smiling, she looked about the fair. "So, what next?"

Ruby must have spotted something as she started bouncing in place before grabbing the other two girls and pulling them along. In a matter of seconds, they were all posted up in front of one of the water gun booths, where you shoot the target and a counter rises. A quick exchange of lien and Ruby and May began. When Blake had seen the size of the target, she refused to compete, knowing the two snipers were far more accurate.

The unsurprising thing was when May thoroughly thrashed Ruby at the game. Ruby may have a sniper-scythe, but May specialized in normally just her rifle. By the time Ruby got a bead on the small patterned button, May's counter was a quarter of the way to the top. When May's set up rang out with her victory, Ruby threw her arms up and turned on the stool, pouting.

Blake patted her head, hardly sympathetic. She had seen Ruby unashamedly doing the same to her sister and Weiss in the last few days. The heiress had been especially easy to goad, having a competitive streak a mile wide and Yang was stubborn. In all the years of their child hood, she had never beaten Ruby, but she was hardly going to stop trying now.

Now, for some who followed competitive gaming, the term salty runback truly applied when Ruby leveled a glare at the two and said, "Again."

May shrugged and Blake laughed.

A minute later and Ruby was once again sulking. Blake put an arm around the girl and pulled her up. "Stop being such a grouch when you finally lose this stupid game. Besides, there are other things to try."

"Like the other various rigged games these people run," May asked. "This one of the least rigged, but that's only because the prizes are small and it's mostly for people to compete."

Blake smiled. "Actually I was gonna suggest quiet. Seeing as we've been surrounded by noise since we entered that stadium and my ears are killing me." A slight jerk of motion caused her to look down at Ruby who was dozing off on her feet. "It also looks like Ruby needs the rest."

May nodded. "Well, I'll let you get to it, then."

"Come."

She blinked. "What?"

"Come along," Blake repeated. "I was gonna lend you some books anyways and we can talk some more." Smirking as Ruby drooped a bit more, she readjusted her grip on the girls shoulders, before hooking her other arm under the girl's legs. "The things I do for you," she whispered affectionately, planting a kiss on the girl's forehead.

She heard a weird kind of strangled noise and looked up at May who was staring. "Oh my Dust, you two are so adorable."

Blake blushed. "Not really. That's more Ruby's thing." Coughing awkwardly, she turned and started walking. "Let's go."

May laughed as she fell into step behind her.

 **End...**

Another chapter down. Aside from my ever present reminder of the Discord chat, there's nothing else to say. Adieu for now!


	34. Chapter 34

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 34 of PR. My whole family, save my sister *knocks on wood*, has gotten sick at some point in the last few weeks. I've had my time with it, but know I have returned to my chronic coughing. XD A return to no pain. Someone on the Discord was reading BCB... Why do people still read that? -_- I know that a writer is their own worst critic, but looking back on it, I really don't get how people enjoyed it...

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Ruby woke with a fuzzy brain and the dim sound of laughter tickling at her senses. The overwhelming scent that was quint-essentially Blake hung around her like a warm sweater and the weight of their various duvets and the feeling of familiar fingers pulling through her hair with the utmost care gave her a clue as to where she was; the dorm of Team RWBY.

As her consciousness returned, more sensations were becoming apparent. The bed shook slightly, corresponding with Blake's laughter, bringing a satisfied smile to Ruby's face. She loved the sound and was always happy to hear it. Opening her eyes, she noted that the dorm was only lit by the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. The drawn back curtains fluttering as a slow breeze picked at them. Another voice reached her ears and she woke further, trying to figure out who it was.

Sitting up groggily and looking around, Blake's hand dropping from her hair and to her shoulder, Ruby noticed a mass of red and white and it clicked. May Zedong was sitting in one of the chair's that normally rested at the dubbed "study desk" according to Weiss. The chair was turned around so the back faced Blake, with May sitting backwards, folded legs pressed up against the back and crossed arms resting on the top rail.

Blake gave the just woken teen and quick kiss, smiling warmly at her. "Sleep okay?" When Ruby nodded, she gestured to their guest. "I invited her to talk after you dozed off at the fair. I hope you don't mind."

Ruby giggled and poked Blake's nose. "From the laughter, you two seem to be having fun. Of course it's fine, Blake."

"Blake has just been recommending some of the books she said you two had read recently," May quipped. She lifted one such novel, one that Ruby vaguely remembered. "Some of these look really good, especially the one about the man with two souls, both fighting for control of his body."

May took another glance at the book and a look of recognition crossed over her face. "Oh! I almost forgot," she started. "Word on the streets, or at least what my team has told me and a few book shops have confirmed is that some nomads are making a stop by Vale. I was wondering if you two would like to come along when I went to check out the shops?"

It made sense too. With the tournament, there was an expected jump in tourism and it was hardly anything to note that a group of merchants would divert their route for the chance at selling wares at such a large event. The bounty of consumables they had was also likely to be good. "Do you know what day they're to arrive," Blake asked. May nodded and a grin quirked at the Faunus' lips. "I'd like to see what sort of books they might have."

Ruby nodded beside her. "And they probably have some cool weapon parts from other kingdoms and villages. Maybe I'd find something to upgrade Crescent Rose with."

Blake snickered. "The chance is really small that you could make that weapon any more deadly than it is."

"So...?" May prompted.

Shrugging, Blake smiled. "I'm in."

"Me too!" Ruby cheered.

The dorm room door opened, Yang and Weiss stepping in; the blonde grinning wildly. "Hello~! What has you all so excited?"

It was Ruby who answered. "Some shop keepers that wander the kingdoms are visiting Vale soon and we're gonna go and check out what they're selling in a few days."

The blonde nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. Turning to Weiss, she spoke. "Maybe we should go too. It's been awhile since I've seen a group like them. They tend to have some pretty cool stuff from the few that have visited Patch.

Weiss mulled it over. "It seems like a good idea. Plus," the heiress averted her eyes. "I was actually going to mention it later today, since I have heard of it from the shop keeper at 'From Dust Till Dawn' when I was getting a refill for Myrtenaster."

Off to the side, Blake noticed the slightly downtrodden expression of May. Leaning over, so only the sniper could hear, she whispered, "Those two are likely to split off. They like their space and don't mind giving Ruby and me our own."

May considerably brightened. "I know you two won't just magically accept me, but I'd still like to be able to make friends with you without having to worry as many people." She chuckled nervously. "I'm not the best with talking to others."

"And Yang is a bit much, while Weiss is overbearing," Blake concluded. "They're not the best people to try and get you acclimated to speaking with others." She snorted in amusement. "Honestly, I feel a little bad for any nervous person having to speak to them."

Looking up to see Ruby conversing with her sister and Weiss flipping through a few sheets on the desk absentmindedly, Blake stood. "Would anyone care to play a board game or something?"

A certain brawler perked up. "How about Cards Against Remnant?! I just ordered a pack recently and-"

"No," Weiss cut her off. "We're not traumatizing our guest, if I have anything to say about it." She paused, trying to think of something before sighing and looking at Ruby. "Do we have anything for five people that doesn't involve scarring someone for life?"

The girl shrugged. "Only a few things, Weiss. I think Apples to Apples would work, since it's similar enough to Cards. A compromise?"

"And no foul language?" Weiss asked, wanting to clarify.

Ruby nodded. "Aside from the few blank cards that Yang got her hands on. We can remove them, though."

"Yang can, since she wrote them," Weiss retorted.

Yang slumped over. "No fun." Sighing melodramatically, she dragged herself over to the closest and started her search for the game. Her careless tossing of the contents of the closet was having a noticeable effect on Weiss, apparent to the other three.

Weiss tried to restrain herself from it, but her frustration was mounting. Finally, she cracked. "At this rate, the whole closet will be spread across the floor." Bustling over, she pushed Yang aside, sifted through a few things and handed the box to the blonde. "Now, get your stupid cards out."

The busty brawler grinned unabashedly and pecked Weiss' cheek. "Sure thing, Ice Queen."

Crossing her arms and appearing to look dignified, Weiss couldn't help the dusting of red that passed over her cheeks. "You dolt."

Yang's grinned just widened as she popped the lid off of the box and began searching for the cards. "You know you love me."

A muttered "whatever" caused the other's to snicker as Weiss picked up some of the contents of the closet and returned them back to their places.

Game Night was on!

 **End...**

No matter who asks, I will not have them play Cards Against Humanity. I might love the game, but it is rather offensive and I'm not gonna take the fic there. Remember to check out the discord link on my profile, if you want to join the chat. PM me with questions, if you have any (or use reviews if you have an account) and I will reply ASAP. Adieu for now!


	35. Chapter 35

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 35. Not much to say, so chapter...

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Beacon, having been the host for the fair grounds below the Amity Coliseum, also found itself host to the nomad merchants as they arrived in Vale. The large clearing used was now almost packed to the brim with stands of all shapes and sizes. With all these new things, it was no surprise that all the various entrants for the tournament and any spectators had taken to looking over these new shops.

So, it was no surprise that Team RWBY was among them. May had come along, since it had been her idea and she was speaking with Blake and Ruby as the five girls made their way to the fair grounds. When Weiss caught sight of the shops, she had to admit some surprise. She expected them to be a bit rag tag and worn, and while the latter was somewhat true, the stands were organized and displayed what they sold clearly. There wouldn't have to be much of any digging through things.

Her ice blue eyes had also noted that Yang was wandering off towards a stand with various colorful beads and trinkets. Leave it to the brawler to find the brightest thing in the whole fair ground. Shaking her head in amusement, she noted the other three talking quietly. Well, as quiet as one could do in a large crowd. She could see that May was slightly uncomfortable with all the noise, if the occasional wince was anything to go by. Ruby was looking around before her eyes lit up and she started babbling to the other girls and pointing at something.

Following the direction, Weiss saw a stand with piles and piles of books. A few glances around showed a few more similar stands, but the one Ruby had pointed at, also had a food stand, with cookies on display. It wasn't of similar style to any of the other nomad stands, so she figured it was from the original fair. Either way, her leader had seen cookies. When the three started off in that direction, Weiss shook her head. Let May and Blake deal with that. Turning, she caught up with Yang, the blonde sifting through bead necklaces.

"You are such a child, Yang," Weiss started. "Bead necklaces? We could probably get some at a store in Vale."

Yang grinned and looked at her. "Not _just_ bead necklaces," she retorted. Looking around she made an "aha!" noise and lifted something from a woven basket. Handing it to Weiss, she looked rather pleased with herself. "They make these cute wooden doll things too."

Small bar-like eyes stared back at her as Weiss looked at the figure Yang had handed her. It was pretty cute. She rolled the thing over in her hands, looking it over and nodded to herself. This was almost certainly hand made and she hadn't seen one of these things outside a few online sites. "Do you even know what these are, Yang?"

"Nope!" The blonde replied. "Does our all-knowing Ice Queen know?"

"Hopi Kachina Dolls," Weiss said. "Some of the nomadic tribes make these to teach the female members of their communities about some of the older gods."

The woman running the stand finally made herself known. "Not many know about that, child." The wrinkled lines of her faces tightened as she smiled. "Would you perhaps like to purchase one? I may also have a book or two on the subject lying around. If not, I'm sure one of the others would."

Weiss looked at the colorful figure again and mulled it over. "Sure. How much?"

The woman gave her price and before Weiss could give her the money, Yang was already handing over the needed lien. "I've got this, Princess." She pulled another few cards out and handed them to the woman. "I'll take one too." The woman smiled kindly as Yang fished out another doll.

Digging through some stuff below the table in a few boxes, the old woman hummed to herself as she sorted through some things. A small noise of agreement came from her as she lifted something from one of the boxes and she looked at it with a small smile. Looking back at the two girls, she handed it over. When Yang made to get her lien, the woman cut her off. "A gift," she spoke. "For two lovely girls. Like the White one said, it's tradition to teach those with the dolls about our gods. What better way than the book, hm?"

Weiss smiled in return. "Thank you very much, ma'am. I appreciate the gift."

"Think not of it child." The woman made herself busy fixing the bead necklaces. "It was a gift enough to know that others still know about our way of life, if only what these dolls mean." Her expression turned bittersweet. "So many forget."

Weiss placed her hand on one of the woman's. "Well, I shant forget about this, then." She glanced at Yang. "I'll make sure she reads the book too."

Yang rolled her eyes. "I was going to." When Weiss kept her gaze, she snickered. "Okay, probably."

 **With RBM...**

Paper and plastic crinkled loudly as Ruby fished another cookie from her bag of the treats. She hummed happily as Blake and May were sifting through the books. Blake, she noticed, had a method for choosing books from the pile. She'd take one, crack it open, read a few parts before either returning it or setting it aside. What little free space had been available on the table of the stand was being filled with a small pile of books.

May's own collection was noticeably smaller and she held it in her arms. The sniper glanced over the titles on the book spines once more before turning to the stand owner and paying. She was given a bag and she slipped the books inside of it, thank him. He looked at the bow wearing girl and laughed. "Your friend sure likes books, yeah?"

"I guess," May replied. "Most of the books on her team's bookshelf are hers." She looked over at Ruby. "I think Ruby's the only reason they aren't all hers."

The cloaked girl grabbed another cookie as she looked at the various titles. She also kept some space from Blake, allowing the Faunus to explore as she was wont to do. To Ruby, many of the titles seemed boring. She frowned lightly, but kept looking. A glint of color caught her eye and her attention snagged on the silver lettering imprinted on the spine of one of the books. _The Brothers Grimm_ , it was titled. Grinning, she tucked her cookie bag in her belt, lifting the few books off of the one she found and pulled it out. Turning to the stand owner, she beamed at him. "How much for this one?"

"And these?" Blake added, motioning to her stack.

The man coughed into his hand, slightly surprised by the size of the stack. Glancing at Ruby he smiled. "You can have that one, if your friend is buying all of these." He gave Blake the price, smirking at her surprised expression. "Not as high as you thought it would be?"

Blake nodded. "Many of the stores in Vale would've charged twice the price, even for used books like these."

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm not them. Besides, it's wonder if I can even sell half as many as are in that stack. With scrolls and all the technology, so many more are forgetting about books." When he noticed her unsure expression, he laughed again. "It's a fair price for me, child. Don't worry about it. Now, let's get you bag for that heap of books."

Blake smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem." He handed a bag to her and one to Ruby. Smiling at the three of them, he straightened a book pile. "You three have a nice day."

As they turned to leave, Ruby snapped a playful salute. "Will do!" She turned and skipped along. "Banzai!"

Behind her, Blake rolled her eyes. "Banzai indeed."

 **End...**

Another chapter down. I had someone ask me awhile ago about doing something more for Weiss and Yang and I hope this appeases you somewhat. As for the Hopi Kachina Dolls, I was watching, I believe, How It's Made and they did an episode on them and some other stuff. The dolls are pretty cool looking and I'd like to get one myself. I kind of collect little odds and ends, so I have an assortment of stuff that would look like it came from a fair like this. Adieu for now!


	36. Chapter 36

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 36. I've been doing some thinking... Don't worry, not gonna abandon this story, if that's what you thought. XD On a serious note, though; I do think it's time to wrap it up. What I mean to say, is that I've gotten requests to work on my other stories, such as Autumn Fallout, and have said that I wanted to finish this one first. That said, thanks to May being added so late into the game, you can rest assured that, eventually, there will be a sequel.

THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. Just letting you know that I'm likely winding things down for now.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

A chime of sound hit the air, a delicate hand swiping over a glass screen and a frown settling over the face of one Weiss Schnee. What alert could have possibly been so important to go off so early in the morning. She wasn't complaining too much for her own sake, since she was already awake, but the others were not. She was sitting on her bunk, with Yang laying beside her, the brawler's arm strewn haphazardly across Weiss's lap and a faint snore able to be heard, despite Yang's face being buried in the sheets.

Weiss rolled her eyes before she looked across the darkened room to the other bed. The slight rise of the sheets confirmed that Ruby and Blake were still there and, given no significant motion, both were asleep. Turning her eyes back to the screen of her scroll, her frown returned. Unlocking the screen again, she pulled up the notification and read the linked document. The next stage of the tournament was in a few days time and it included the current bracket of the remaining teams.

A relieved sigh escaped her when she noted that, not only had RWBY made it, but so had the team's friends. Both JNPR and SSSN had moved on, while also showing that Penny's team had also gotten past the first round, something Weiss was sure would please Ruby. Weiss locked her scroll and went to set it aside, but another messaged 'ping'd and she groaned. What now?

Any frustration disappeared when she noted the sender. Her sister, Winter, had messaged her at this unholy hour of the morning, but Weiss couldn't have cared less. With the strict hours her sister worked, Weiss understood that Winter was using her free time as best she could. A slight giggle erupted from her when she read the message.

" _Are you awake?"-Winter_

Winter already knew the answer, given that their messages were usually why Weiss had taken to being awake at such an early time.

" _Of course I am."-Weiss_

" _Right. Well, since you are, perhaps you'd care to join me for a quick snack."-Winter_

" _Alright. I'll meet you in the courtyard then."-Weiss_

" _See you then."-Winter_

Weiss grinned. The one upside to this tournament, aside from proving her worth, was getting to see her sister. Looking at the arm that rested on her, she set to work on carefully extracting herself from Yang's grip. It took some doing, but she managed to do so without waking the blonde and slipped from bed. Gathering her clothes, she slipped into the bathroom.

A quick change later and she was slinking out of the room.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Once in the courtyard, Weiss noticed the blinding streak of white that was Winter's hair. Glancing at her own, she was sure the effect was the same. With the bright light of the moon shining down, the two sister's did stand out with their bright locks reflecting the light with the same intensity that the moon reflected the Sun's rays.

Weiss' heels clacked over the cobbled pavement as she made her way to the fountain and, surely enough, caused Winter to notice her approach. The older Schnee smiled warmly and started walking her way, only stopping in front of Weiss, and only then, to greet the heiress with a hug. "It's been too long Weiss."

Closing her eyes and enjoying the hug, Weiss nodded against her sister. Her eyes opened when Winter let her go and she mourned the loss of contact. Her sister gave the best hugs, if she were to be honest. Though, she didn't really have many people to compare it to. Aside from Yang, the only other candidate was the Schnee butler, Klein.

Shaking the thoughts away, she smiled as Winter began walking, motioning for Weiss to follow. Although she couldn't see it, Winter was smiling too, as she heard the sound of Weiss's heels clicking behind her rapidly. Nor had it been noticed when the smile widened when Weiss's arm looped with hers.

It was nice to see her sister again.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

A few hours later, Yang woke in her bed. She groaned and tried to push herself up, but even her strength failed and she flopped back down. Waiting a few minutes for feeling to return to her arms, she pushed herself up once more and managed it. Shaking her mane of hair, her lilac eyes glanced around. Weiss wasn't here and, with a look at the room, had gone somewhere. Shrugging, she grabbed her scroll to check some emails and see if anything else needed her attention.

Like Weiss, she had received the information on the next round of the tournament and grinned wildly. The team had discussed that for the second round, Weiss and Yang would be the two chosen. Ruby was a little bummed, but it had made sense, so she agreed with the plan. Clicking on the next alert, Yang's manic grinned softened into a warmer smile. Weiss had sent her a picture about an hour before hand, showing her and her sister, Winter, in a coffee shop. A quick look at Ruby and she shook her head.

Well, now she knew where Weiss had gone. She could hardly blame the girl. Yang loved Ruby and was happy to hang out with the bubbly cloak wearing girl, which is why she could understand why Weiss wouldn't hesitate to hang out with her sister.

Speaking of, she opened the last message, this one from Uncle Qrow.

" _When you wake up, get Ruby and meet me at the arcade. You know the one."-Qrow_

Ah, yes. The Yellow Brick Arcade... Ruby had stumbled across it when she had first been enrolled in Signal and had dragged Yang and Qrow along with her on one of the cloaked girl's birthdays. Needless to say, it had become a regular spot for them to hang out when Qrow was in town.

Hopping out of bed, she padded over to where her sister was sleeping. With an unrepentant grin, she began poking Ruby's head. Repeatedly. "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up..."

Even when Ruby stirred, the poking continued and the girl groaned. "What, Yang?" Yang showed her the scroll and she shot up out of bed. "What are we waiting for?!"

A yawn pulled their attention back to the bed, where Blake was waking. "What's going on?"

Ruby kneeled on the bed and pecked Blake's cheek. "Our Uncle Qrow messaged Yang, saying he wanted to hang out. You cool if we go?"

Amber eyes blinked as Blake stared at her blankly. After a pause she nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine here." She sunk back into the blankets. "More time to nap."

Ruby grinned. "Let's go!"

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Qrow smirked when he saw Ruby and Yang enter the arcade, dropping a token into the machine, not even looking as it slipped into the jackpot slot on the turning wheel. He waved the two over as tickets started pouring from the machine. "Hey kiddos, what have you brats been up to?"

Yang shrugged. "Terrorizing the general populace, breaking hearts, and generally being badasses."

Ruffling Ruby's hair, Qrow laughed. "Sure," he drawled. "Tai Yang give you that line, brat?"

Ruby piped up before Yang could defend herself. "Yup!" Looking at her sister, she stuck her tongue out. "Told you he'd know."

A shrug answered her. "So," Yang started. "The usual?"

Qrow nodded. "Let's show these kids how skee ball is really played.

 **End...**

When I said "Sun's rays", all I could think was Sun wielding lasers.

So, sequel... Yeah, I have some ideas and I'll write it down somewhere so I don't forget. After this concludes, AF is probably next.

On a side note, I finally listened to Neon. The song from RWBY soundtrack. I didn't know it existed until I was listening to "This Will Be The Day."

Adieu for now!


	37. Chapter 37

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 37. It's been a hot minute since I've posted, so... Chapter time! But first, news. I HAVE A JOB. Fricking finally... Literally over 20-30 applications until I got one, but now I can actually make some money.

I'm gonna be skipping over the Flynt/Neo v Weiss/Yang and SSSN vs NDGO, simply due to not wanting to directly reiterate what happened in show. I made this decision, due to some negative feedback pertaining to me working through the Mtn. Glenn arc, so yeah.

ONWARDS!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Yang rested her arms behind her head, grinning at the crowd. To her left and right stood the other students who had made it to the singles round. Sun, Penny, Pyrrha, Mercury, and a few others. She was pumped and ready to win this tournament. Distantly she heard Oobleck's voice running down the matchups for this last phase of the tournament, starting with one of the random students being matched up against Mercury.

A glance at Mercury's opponent brought a frown to her face. The teen was very cocky; like Cardin levels of cocky. That wasn't to say Mercury wasn't either. A grin worked it's way back onto her face. Either way, watching this match was a win-win, one prick kicking another's ass. Who'd be losing in a situation like that?

All the finalists, aside from Mercury and Prick Wonder (not his actual name, but it fit), were sent to a waiting room of sorts, with a screen to watch the match. To Yang's disappointment, it was relatively quick. The prick was admittedly skilled and it showed. He was able to quickly subdue Mercury and the match was called.

Then the weirdest thing occurred, the other teen suddenly walked up on the downed Mercury and snapped a vicious kick into the grey teen's knee, drawing a scream from the Haven student. A hush fell over the crowd and then everything broke into commotion.

A break was called and the other finalists were let out, to return to their teams. Yang joined back up with her team, the three of them talking amongst themselves. They noticed her and she waved a greeting, frowning slightly. "I knew the guy was a dick, but that was pushing it too far."

Weiss nodded. "It also screws up the finals. Mercury can't move on due to injury and the other kid is probably disqualified for that stunt." She growled. "The nerve."

"That said, Ruby got a message from Port," Blake cut in. "You'll be facing Sun after the match between Pyrrha and Penny. I don't know what they're going to do with two of the eight missing. Maybe a three-for-all?"

Yang blinked. "Did you just...?" Lilac eyes widened and she started dancing place. "I knew I'd corrupt my team, yet!"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Yang. Are you ready for your match? Sun's a pretty solid fighter, remember."

Waving her off, Yang scoffed. "He's a joke, Blakey. It'll be a walk in the park."

Amber eyes drifted over to Ruby, who'd been silent the entire time. Blake frowned, concerned. "You okay, Ruby?"

Ruby sighed. "Yeah. I'm just a bit worried about Penny and Pyrrha's match. I have a bad feeling about it."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

"This is an exciting match!" Oobleck quipped. "The premier student of Atlas, Miss Penny Polendina versus the Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos!"

Port nodded, wiggling his mustache. "Quite right! This is arguably one of the more anticipated matches. Now, let's see how these two stack up.

Down in the arena below, the two girls shook hands. Pyrrha smiled pleasantly. "I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Penny beamed. "Thank you. I'm combat ready and hope that this will be a good match!"

Taking position on either side of the platform, the two squared off. The signal was given and they began.

Pyrrha took an immediate offensive, leading in with a stab from Milo, the spear narrowly missing Penny as she side stepped, one of her swords popping out of her backpack. She twirled to avoid another strike, grabbing the blade and using it to block Pyrrha's next lunge.

Her eyes widened when she saw Pyrhha's shield swing towards her. She brought her sword up, the shield contacting it and sending her flying. Flipping back with the momentum, she touched down on her feet, sliding back a fair distance using her blade to slow her down.

Time to get a bit more serious. Tossing up her sword, her backpack opened again, bringing out the rest of her blades and pulling them in a loose circle behind her. There were twelve of them and Penny knew what exactly she was doing with them.

However, this was not what Pyrrha saw. Twelve blades become a few dozen, then almost a hundred. The sight of that much weaponry intimidated her and, knowing it might be fatal, she knew that it was time to use her semblance a bit more openly, consequences be damned.

Time slowed down for Pyrrha as the blades leapt into action, bringing her arms up and concentrating, she pushed out her aura in a wave, repulsing the blades.

 _ **SCHLICK!**_

Pyrrha's eyes refocused and her eyes widened. "Oh no." Across from her, Penny collapsed, an arm laying off to the side and one of her legs chopped of at the calf. Dropping her weapon, she rushed over. "No! No, no, no." She dropped to her knees beside the other girl. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

Penny frowned. "Why are you crying, Pyrrha? I'm quite alright." She looked around and saw her arm. "Though father may be upset with me for not being more careful."

"How can you be so calm?!" Pyrrha cried. "I cut off your arm and leg."

A soft hand cupped Pyrrha's face, Penny's remaing arm. "Look again."

Through teary eyes, Pyrrha noticed something about the arm. Circuits sparked where blood should have been. "A prosthetic?"

Penny smiled. "Not quite. I'm the first synthetic made with an aura. I'm not exactly human." Leaning her head back she giggled. "Though Ruby seems to think otherwise."

A loud crash hit the stadium and both girls looked up. Atop the coliseum, a horde of Grimm slammed down onto the protective barrier above their heads. The crowd around them was sent into a panic and suddenly orders were being broadcast to evacuate.

"Pyrrha," Penny started. "Could you help me up? I'm not exactly able to do so at the moment."

Pyrrha nodded. "Right, sorry." Hoisting Penny up, she looped the girl's arm over her shoulder and, using her semblance, lifted the two strewn limbs, carrying them with her.

A blur of rose petals flashed into sight as Ruby appeared. "Penny! Are you okay?"

"Right as rain, friend Ruby! Pyrrha is just helping me evacuate the building." Penny grinned at her best friend. "Father should be able to patch me right up."

Ruby nodded. Turning to Yang, she sighed. "Yang, can you help Pyrrha get Penny out of here? You're the only one of the team who's still armed."

Yang smirked. "Armed, you say?"

"Just help them.," the girl barked. "If you hadn't noticed Yang," she started, gesturing to the Grimm above. "We're kind of in a situation."

"Right." Yang threw an arm around Penny, helping Pyrrha carry her out.

Watching as they went, Ruby turned to the other two. "Now we just need to get our weapons." Pulling out her scroll, she opened, but a slamming sound caused her to look up. A bunch of the locker rockets had entered the coliseum, opening up and revealing their weapons, among others.

Not about to ask questions, she grabbed Crescent Rose. Blake and Weiss retrieved their respective weapons and the other teams of students from the tournament had jumped down to the platform and had collected their own weapons. Ruby smiled at collected group. "Alright guys, lets split up and help the people get out of here safely." At the collected nods, she grinned. "Let's show these Grimm how it's done!"

 **End...**

Another chapter. Someone asked me awhile back if I was going to make changes to volume three. I had never said it in an AN, but had mentioned it a few times on the discord. I really disagreed with the people who got killed. Penny is just too pure a character, so the idea of harming her, is a lot like kicking a puppy. Though neither situation has happened yet, Roman and Pyrrha will not be dying. Roman is my favorite villain of all time and Pyrrha is just awesome. Adieu for now!


	38. Chapter 38

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 38. Quick news, the first chapter for my RubyVelvet story is finished, so, when this one ends, that chapter should go up within a day or so, if not hours. That said, onwards!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

If someone had told him that hell would be an army of Grimm attacking in the middle of a festival, Jaune might have called you insane. Actually, he would definitely have. He was barely managing to hold his own, despite having grouped up with the other students, foreign academies included. The young hunters and huntresses in training had been ensuring that the civilians were safely evacuated from the school grounds and it was taking a toll on some.

Add into that the fact that the atlas robots seemed to have gone renegade and everything had really gone to shit. Kicking away the remnants of another Knight, he took a quick scan of the battlefield and sighed. It seemed that they had gotten everyone out of this area. Velvet seemed rather worn out and Coco was reloading the massive weapon she toted around.

He heard a familiar clacking of heels and his head turned to see Pyrrha sprinting towards them. Jaune smiled, glad to have another familiar face, but the smile faded as she ran past them and towards the tower. Concerned etched his features and he ran after her. What was she doing?

"Pyrrha! Wait up, Pyrrha!" He called, huffing as he kept running. She didn't slow down and he didn't either. His lungs burned, but he ignored the pain and pushed forward. The two were now coming up on the base of the tower and only then did Pyrrha slow down. Jaune came to a stop beside her, huffing and puffing. Catching his breath, he looked at her. "What are you doing, Pyrrha?! All this crap is happening and you run to the tower?!"

Green eyes flashed with sadness as she exhaled. "It's not that simple, Jaune." She glanced up at the tower. "Ozpin asked me to do something and I didn't know whether I could or not."

"Do what?" He asked.

Looking back to him, she replied. "Become the Fall Maiden." She knew he was surprised, but the couldn't wait any longer. "Come, I'll explain as we go." Thankfully, he followed.

They entered an elevator and it began it's descent. Turning to Jaune, she collected her thoughts. "Ozpin explained to me the story of the Four Maidens and how that particular fairy tale has it's roots in truth. A maiden for each of the four seasons and one was attacked some time ago." Pyrrha pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I don't get why, but the powers are passed to the female that was last in the thoughts of the maiden, regardless of their feelings for that person, so to prevent the powers of the Fall Maiden being passed to her attacker, Ozpin and the others put her in stasis."

"Others?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Ruby's uncle. They wanted me to try and absorb the remaining power of the Fall Maiden. The only problem is that we don't know how it'll end up, even if it works."

Jaune frowned. "What do you mean? Wouldn't you just be getting her powers?"

A mirthless laugh came from Pyrrha. "I've told you before, Jaune. Our aura is our soul, pouring her power into me would be pouring her soul into mine. I might not be the same person afterwards."

A shudder of motion shook the elevator and the doors hissed open. Ozpin stood before them, his eyes locking onto Pyrrha. "So you've decided, Miss Nikos?"

Gathering herself, she nodded. "Yes, Professor. I'll do it."

"Very well. Time is short, so we best hurry." He started walking, Pyrrha behind him. "You too, Mr. Arc. I'm afraid we'll need your help."

"U-um, right." Jogging to catch up, he looked around at the dark corridor. It seemed to stretch on for a ways, but their end point was fairly straightforward. A large machine with two massive capsules, one empty and the other occupied.

Pyrrha climbed into the unoccupied one and Ozpin took position at the device's interface. "Mr. Arc, please keep an eye out for anyone. It is imperative that this process isn't interrupted."

Nodding, Jaune turned to the hall, he raised his shield and shifted his stance, ready to intercept anything, even if the hall was empty now. A whir started up, the machine coming to life and the noise rose. As it climbed higher in volume, Pyrrha started yelling in pain and he almost turned to her. Gritting his teeth, he tried to block it out. She needed him to keep an eye out for her. Tears leaked from his eyes as her screams flooded his hearing.

Right as he was about to ignore his better judgment and ask for them to stop, he saw _her_ , A woman in a red dress stepped out of the elevator, amber eyes glowing in the low lighting of the hall. Waving her arms, a bow formed out of dust and she raised it, pulling back on the string as an arrow settled itself. Jaune shook slightly, thinking she was about to take aim on him, but her focus shifted and she fired.

Diving towards it, Jaune blocked it with his shield, the arrow clattering to the ground as he tumbled into a roll, regaining his balance. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to block further shots if he didn't do something, he took a calming breath and shot towards the woman. She had her bow raised once more, but she dropped it as she saw him closing in, the bow fading away and daggers being formed instead. Bringing the both of them up, she blocked his overhead slash, glaring unabashedly at him. "Stand down, boy, or die."

He growled as he put more strength behind his sword, forcing her back. "Stay away from my friends." As she stumbled back, he pushed forward with his shield, trying to knock her off balance, but she side stepped and slashed at him, cutting him shallowly on one of his arms. He hissed in pain and brought his sword up, turning as he did so, to avoid her second blade.

The woman danced back and flipped one of the daggers into a reverse grip. As Jaune attacked her, she parried or blocked with ease, slashing him with each mistake. As his aura dropped, the strikes left their marks. He was by no means a great fighter and this woman outclassed him, but Pyrrha needed all the time she could get, so he pressed on.

Cinder was surprised by his determination, even after his aura had failed. He still fought on, even as blood dripped from his wounds. She could tell he was tiring, but he kept swinging. He was brave, she had to admit, but it was time she ended this. With a quick motion, she pushed his guard open, his sword being tossed aside as she drove her other blade into his abdomen, angling it up into his chest under his armor.

He coughed painfully, but gripped her arm, causing her eyes to widen in shock. She pulled back, but he wouldn't let her go. Slamming his shield into her face, he kept bashing away, her aura dropping before he couldn't swing any more and dropped to the floor, his hand loosening and finally letting go.

She heard a hiss as he fell and her eyes shot up, widening as she saw the capsule open and Pyrrha step out. Cursing, she readied her bow and shot at the girl. Pyrrha didn't see it coming and Cinder smiled, thinking it would find its mark. A clang of sound had her frowning as Ozpin knocked it aside.

Pyrrha finally regained her bearings, emerald eyes locking onto the bloodied form at Cinder's feet. "Jaune!" Grabbing her weapon and shield, she glared at the woman, but a hand from Ozpin stayed her, grudgingly.

"You will not be able to beat her, Pyrrha. Let me handle this." Ozpin dashed forward, engaging Cinder as Pyrrha ran past, escaping. He watched her go before glancing at Jaune's body. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Mr. Arc. That is one mistake I will not make."

 **End...**

So, not many chapters left... Things are wrapping up and I'm very proud of this fic, all things considered. It's only 17k views away from beating out my other fic, BCB.

Adieu for now!


	39. Chapter 39

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 39. Sorry for the late ass update. I actually had most of this written a few days after 38 and just didn't like it all too much. Then, with having actually finally gotten a job, I've been busy and just a shit ton of reasons that it took me so long to get to writing this.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Slicing through another Grimm, Ruby looked around, relieved that most of the civilians were already out of the coliseum. With another flick of Crescent Rose, another Grimm dropped, lifeless. She sighed in relief as Atlesian Knights dropped in, thinking they were being reinforced. When they turned on the amassed fighters, everyone responded, albeit shocked at the betrayal.

General Ironwood, who had been with this particular group frowned. Someone had overtaken his personal forces and was using them to attack Beacon and Vale. "Miss Rose!" In a flurry of rose petals, she was beside him, looking at him expectantly. "Gather some of the others. We need to get onto the main airship above. The controls for the Knights are contained on board and someone has tampered with them."

Ruby nodded. "Right." Turning, she called out. "Blake, we have an issue!"

The Faunus made her way over. "Aside from the obvious?" She gestured at the fallen Grimm. "Weiss and Yang are still evacuating people from the fair grounds, do you want me to call them?"

Shaking her head, Ruby ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face. "No, those people need all the help they can get. General Ironwood said that the Knights are controlled by that ship," she said, pointing to the largest of the three vessels that dominated the skyline. "We need to get up there and see what we can do about it."

"How will we get up there?" Blake asked.

Ironwood was the one to reply. "My own personal ship should suffice," he said, gesturing to the craft that rested in one of the holding areas. It was small, but in good shape. Despite everything going on, the metal gleamed in the moonlight. "Take it and head up there as soon as possible."

Ruby looked at him, surprised. "You're not coming with us?"

He smiled reassuringly, readjusting his grip on his pistol. "I can't, Miss Rose. I need to stay here and help out the other students. You and Miss Belladonna are quite talented, so I'm confident that you can handle this."

"Not without my help!" A voice called. The three turned to see May running over to them, sniper resting under her arm. "I'm not letting you two go alone," she insisted.

The determination preset in those grey eyes was unwavering and Ruby nodded. "Ok then! Let's get going." With that, the three girls made their way to the ship. Ironwood watched as they took off and made a beeline for the central airship.

James Ironwood turned back to face the remaining Grimm, face resolute. "Good luck, girls."

The ride was thankfully short and the girls bailed from the craft, landing atop the airship. As they hit the surface, they broke into motion, trying to find an entry into the ship. "Ruby," Blake called. "I'm not seeing any way in, how are we going to do this?!"

"By not doing a thing," a sarcastic voice called over the whipping wind. The three girls noticed a head of red hair, donned with a bowler cap, a familiar white jacket flapping loudly. "Hello, Red!" He noted the other two. "I see you've brought friends!" Roman Torchwick bowed, with a cruel smile on his face. "It's so nice of the three of you to join me on this lovely evening. Everything is always better with company and here, I thought, I'd be enjoying the show with only Neo."

At the mention of the name, the parasol wielding girl appeared at his side, bowing much like the master thief. Roman twirled his cane playfully as he regarded the three. "So, Red, they sent you to fix their little chess pieces?"

Ruby growled, pulling Crescent Rose from her back. "How could you? Innocent people are getting hurt, Roman. People are dying!"

He threw his hands in the air, expression hard. "You think I honestly care? I'm in this for me and Neo. It's all I can do to keep me and my own safe. I'm not about to grow a conscience and be a hero, Red. This is the real world and heroes don't exist."

Blake had heard enough and struck. Roman regarded her, almost casually, as he blocked the strike. "You're despicable," she hissed.

Shrugging, he pushed her back. "I'm well aware of that, kitten." Looking to Neo, he smirked. "Shall we dance, my dear?"

Nodding, she pulled her blade from her parasol. The look in her eyes was somber and it took his smile away. She knew too.

"Our grand finale, then!" He called, lifting his weapon.

Ruby, Blake, and May had been confused by the shout, but readied themselves. Normally, the fight would just be between one side and the other, but as the fight began, it become apparent that the Grimm wouldn't be idle either.

As shots fired and canes, blades, and parasols clashed, Grimm would sweep in and try to pick off any of the five people fighting atop the airship. Roman blasted one of the flying creatures aside and spun, bringing his cane down hard, Ruby being forced to block, the force of it, sending her to her knees. Not letting up, he kicked her back, laughing. "Don't you get it, Red? We're all screwed here. You, me, and everyone else in this fucking city. Do you even know the end goal, because they sure as hell didn't tell me."

He didn't even notice the creature swooping down above him, until May fired a shot, sending it reeling. His eyes widened as he took in the creature that had almost swallowed him whole. "Why?"

Ruby smiled at May before turning to Roman. "Because, despite what you've said, heroes exist Roman. We save people," she stated, a smile blooming across her lips. "Even those who don't think they should be."

He smiled ruefully. "Just once, Red, I'll thank you three for this." Setting his cane on the ground, he looked at Neo. "I think its time we left. Shall we?" He asked, holding out an arm. As she looped hers through it, he looked back to the three. "Later, Red!" And, in a flash, they were gone.

Ruby sighed softly, before her features shifted back to a more serious demeanor. "We need to get inside the ship, still." Grabbing Blake and May, she closed her eyes, concentrating. A moment later and they fell through the floor beneath them and into the ship below. Landing in a heap on the floor of a hallway, they picked themselves up and looked around. "Okay, let's find the control room or whatever it is."

Blake nodded. "Right."

 **End...**

Another chapter down. Remember to check out the Discord channel, the code for that on my profile page, and follow me on twitter for news of when I'm streaming. PM me with any questions or if you want to chat.

Adieu for now!


	40. Chapter 40

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 40. Another long wait, but I do apologize. In other news, Phantom Rose has broken 200,000 views. It's super cool seeing one of my stories reaching this milestone and I truly have you all to thank for this. The support from y'all is astounding and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me reach this. XD

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY... If I did, Ladybug wouldn't be a question.**_

Ruby, Blake and May entered the control deck for the airship and it soon became apparent what problem they faced: which monitor was the correct one to fix the renegade androids. Ruby pulled her scroll from her bag and slipped it open. Dialing a number and calling, the room was greeted with the voice of Ironwood. "Have you three made it to the controls, then?"

"Yes," Ruby confirmed. "We just have a small issue... Which computer or whatever is the right one? Also, what do we do when we have the right one?"

Gunshots were heard over the line and the sound of Grimms howling pierced their ears. James growled in frustration. "I can't exactly walk you through this, but I'm sending someone who can." The line cut off, leaving them to the quiet of the empty room.

Blake's face turned contemplative. "Who would be able to get up here and help us. Too many of the ships down there were destroyed and most of the good ones are the White Fang's."

"It's a good thing I don't need a ship, then!" A voice from the scroll announced. The three looked at the screen, only to see Penny smiling up at them. "Hello, friends. Mr. Ironwood said I should help you with fixing the Atlesian Knights."

"Penny, how..." Ruby trailed off before it clicked. "Android, right."

May looked at the other girl, curiously. "What?"

Ruby shrugged, sheepishly. "Well, Penny is an android, so she probably can broadcast herself via the communications network. She also told me not to tell anyone, but with her arm being cut off and the fact that everything kind of went crazy, secrets aren't exactly helpful at the moment. And-"

"Ruby," Blake cut in, placing a hand over the girl's mouth. When the girl blinked and looked at her, she released her. "Breathe."

Taking a deep breath, Ruby nodded. "Alright. Penny, lead the way."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

As another wave of Grimm fell, Weiss collapsed, breathing heavily as she leaned against Yang. "This is insane, Yang. How long are we supposed to hold out?"

The blonde shook her head. "I don't know, but I hope we get some back up, soon." As she spoke, a pair of Paladins made their way into the courtyard, the already tired students looking a bit defeated. Yang frowned. It had taken Team RWBY at full strength to take one down, and even then, only because Yang could break the suits apart.

Coco and a few of the others were keeping the mechs busy, peppering them with bullets, but they weren't doing any noticeable damage. The beret-wearing teen looked behind her. "Velvet, it's time."

Velvet nodded, walking past the others, facing the mechs with a determined glint in her eyes. Weiss stood shakily, turning to look at Team CFVY's leader. "Are you crazy? She'll be killed!"

"Just watch."

One of the Paladins stuck, swinging it's fist down at Velvet, only to slam into the ground as she leaped above the strike, her momentum carrying her high above the two suits. A flash of light emitted as a weapon formed in her arms, strung across her back as she reached the apex of her jump. Crescent Rose, or at least, an imitation of Ruby's scythe, took shape as Velvet came down with a devastating sweep on one of the Paladins, pushing it back as the weapon faded away.

Her stance changed as the other Paladin approached, Weiss' eyes widening as Myrtenaster formed in the girl's hand, repelling the strike with a violent push of energy. A quick spin as her stance changed, Myrtenaster fading, only to be replaced by Gambol Shroud. A quick series of stikes followed, ending with the cleaver blade of the weapon buried in the chest of one of the Paladins.

As it fell, the next change came as she took Yang's normal stance and started punching rounds at the other mech. The Paladin brought its arms up as it rushed her, only for her to pull out the bo staff that Sun used, rushing her way up the suit and slamming down on the central body with Magnhild, Nora's hammer.

As she landed on the ground, the other mech caught her in the side with a punch, sending her careening across the pavement. Tumbling before she slammed into a bench. Coco reached out. "No!"

Weiss frowned before nudging Yang. "Can you give me a boost?"

Yang nodded and grabbed Weiss, spinning the two of them and throwing Weiss towards the remaining Paladin with all the force she could muster. Weiss shot forward, flipping slightly before her feet reached the ground and she placed a glyph beneath her, taking her already high velocity and ramping it up. While Ruby was fast, Weiss was able to slightly replicate the speed if she had a good enough head start.

The others could only see a white blur as she rushed forward. The ring of her glyphs sang loudly as she moved before a sudden silence hit. She stood above Velvet, right as the Paladin closed in on the faunus, a huge glyph hanging in the air behind Weiss. Raising Myrtenaster, Weiss closed her eyes as the mech swung.

The anticipated hit never came. Looking up, she saw the arm of a long defeated Knight wielding its massive sword holding the mech at bay. Her thoughts shifted and it reacted, batting the strike away and slicing clean through the large machine, the bisected thing falling to the ground.

Weiss sighed in relief before collapsing. The others ran over and Yang pulled her up, holding her in her arms. "It's okay, Ice Queen. I got ya."

A smile lit Weiss' face as she leaned into Yang. "Thanks."

"Uh, guys..." Sun started, the group looking over at him. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... look." He pointed as another Paladin entered the courtyard.

It started heading towards them before a loud clanging of metal could be heard. A huge wave of Atlesian Knights showed up behind the thing, either firing at the large machine or jumping atop it and trying to lay waste to it that way. Yang smiled. "Well, it looks like the bots are back on our side, now."

 **End...**

And, there we go. Another chapter down! Still a few things left to handle before this story closes and I begin work on my next one. Either way, adieu for now!


	41. Chapter 41

Yo Peeps, GateMasterGreen here with chapter 41 of Phantom Rose. Shall we?

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

As the fighting wore on, night passed and, inevitably, the light of dawn bore through the darkness. The Grimm were held at bay and Beacon stood still, the tower bearing scars, but it's stature resolute and stalwart. Echoes of gunfire still peppered the morning air, but they were more infrequent as time passed.

All across Vale, the testament of war was told. Bodies littered the street, either the husks of Atlesian Knights or the forms of fallen people. Buildings were in ruins, and the streets were strewn with wreckage, but people were seen here and there. Survivors of the attack came out of hiding, battered and worn, but still breathing.

Finally, as another hour passed, silence reigned, but only for a moment. A loud crash issued from the base of Beacon tower and a streak of crimson tore though the wrecked entrance. The form of a person took shape, but with impressive agility, they soon disappeared with naught a trace.

With the various students, now gathered in the courtyard once more, a count was taken. Casualties were noted, but one stood in the forefront of their minds. Professor Ozpin was dead. Ruby, among others, shed tears for the man. He had given her the opportunity to attend Beacon. Without that, she'd not have her team. Her family. Blake... and even May. He had given her so much and he was gone?

A staggered sob came from her throat as she slammed a hand on the ground. "Gods dammit! Why?!" Blake wrapped her arms around her as she collapsed against the feline faunus. "Why?"

Blake shook her head, wiping her own tears aside and cradling Ruby. "I don't know, Ruby. I didn't think the White Fang would do something so... so... wrong."

A visibly upset Weiss harrumphed. "This isn't misguided action. The White Fang are now dancing the line of straight up fanatacism." At Blake's hurt look, her own demeanor softened. "I know that not all Faunus are like that, but it seems that a good number are willing to go so such distances just for equality?"

"No," Blake replied, sighing. "I don't think this is about equality." Her amber eyes wandered over the ruined landscape. "So many people died." She growled and balled her hand into a fist. Only a calming hand from Ruby caused her to relax. "It's genocide."

Propped against one of the pillars, Yang cocked her head sideways and shrugged. "Then what do we do?" Despite the nonchalant question, her expression was of steel. "We need a game plan, otherwise they might do this again. Isn't there a way to talk to the leader of the White Fang?"

Weiss scoffed. "Yes, let's just waltz our way into the headquarters of the faction the nearly wiped Vale off the map." She sighed. "It's suicide."

Blake pondered it. "Maybe not."

"You're not serious are you?" Weiss stared at Blake, eyes wide. She gestured at the surrounding area. "Are you actually insane? Look! Look at what they have done. You think we'd survive messing with the people who did this?"

Ruby wiped her face clean and glanced up at Blake. "What are you thinking?"

"You actually want to hear this half-witted idea?!" The heiress shouted.

"Yes."

Blake exhaled. "My parents. While retired from their previous roles, both are still rather influential figures in Menagerie."

Yang smiled half-heartedly. "Like nobles?"

"No. More like monarchs." Staring off into space, she whispered. "They used to lead the White Fang."

The other members of RWBY started. "WHAT?!"

"Used to," Blake reaffirmed. "Before the violence. Dad wanted equality through peaceful means and Mom's a gentle soul. When confronted about methods by a new faction in the ranks, they realized they were outvoted when it came to opinions on how matters should be handled." She sighed wistfully. "Instead of asserting dominance, Dad warned them of their folly, but let them have their way. He and Mom dropped from the organization, but are still admired for their contributions to our path to gain equality and acceptance."

"So they're not fishermen?" Yang cracked, snickering.

A smiled graced all their faces and Blake chuckled lightly. "Dad loves to sail and he loves to travel." She pulled her scroll out. "He messaged me, trying to make sure we are all still safe and I let him know that we're fine. I've spoken to him about my plan and he agrees. It's the way we should proceed."

A stone skittered over the walkway and all the girls jumped up, weapons brought to bear. They turned to the source of the noise and were greeted with Qrow. The man's posture was slouched and he looked somber. "Hate to break up any plans, but... You can't all go to Menagerie."

Ruby looked at him, questioningly. "Why?"

"Ozpin wanted some task taken care of and I can't exactly do it by myself." He pointed at Weiss and Yang. "I need you two, given that I also have what's left of JNPR helping out."

"What's left?" Ruby asked, voice shaking.

Qrow slouched further. "That Jaune kid, sacrificed himself to save Nikos. Same person who killed Oz, got him too. Nikos has a target on her back now and some happenings in Haven beg her to be brought to their academy."

Yang nodded. "Then count us in." Weiss also gave a firm nod.

Blake looked relieved. "That helps actually. Fewer numbers mean less of a chance of being noticed. Five would've been a bit much."

Qrow quirked a brow. "Five? Last I check, your a four man," Weiss sniffed indignantly, "woo-man, princess. Four woman team."

Recognition flashed on Ruby's face. "May!"

"Exactly. I'd rather not separate her from us at this point."A warm smile crossed Blake's features. "Besides, if we reach that point, it'd be funny to see how Dad handles her."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "He's so nice!"

It was Yang who answered. "Ruby, you're like a puppy. No one can hate you." She waved her arms emphatically. "It's like a crime against nature!"

Ruby blushed, but laughed it off. "So, we're all set? Yang and Weiss head with JNPR to Haven with Uncle Qrow and Blake, May, and I head to Menagerie to investigate the White Fang?" All four girls nodded. "Alright, one last time for Team RWBY for now."

"BANZAI!"

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Later on, Ruby was walking alongside Blake. "So, how do we bring this up to May?"

Blake stopped walking, causing Ruby to turn to her. She put a hand on her chin and hummed. "Well... Menagerie is a beautiful place and Mom and Dad do have a very expansive library... Plus the two of us will be there."

"So, we bribe her?"

Blake nodded. "We bribe her." A pause. "Did I mention there are beaches?"

Ruby choked.

 **End of Phantom Rose Part 1...**

Alrighty. Note PART 1. Maybe after volume 5 concludes, I may begin working on Part 2. There are multiple reason I'm ending this here. Most of it comes down to, writer's block has become more and more of an issue as this story progressed, so a breather, if you will. On the other side, I have some other story ideas I want to try out and I want to let the show play out more before I go further with this.

A big thanks to everyone who stayed with me this far. I know it was far from perfect, but this felt so worthwhile with all the support I've gotten. 218k views and 900+ followers at the time of this.

As for what's next? I want to work on a few ideas. A RubyVelvet fic was one of them, but I had some ideas pertaining to rewriting BCB, plus, thanks to Vol5Ep2, Sienna is on mind.

SHE SO BEAUTIFUL, WHY SHE GOTTA DIE LIKE THAT?! FUCK YOU, ADAM! AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!

That aside, Sienna is pretty and she has a small bit of character to work with. I was messing around with some ideas and I was laughing to myself when I was sitting there, thinking of this fic, the joke about Kali in the discord, and the fact that Sienna is a cat faunus. I was like Ruby... Blake... Kali... AND Sienna. A purrfect catastrophe...

Once again, thanks all!

Adieu! GateMasterGreen, Signing off!


	42. PART 2 IS OUT!

Yo Peeps, GMG here with a quick update.

Part 2 is out! Check out my profile to find it, and should you be unable to do so, give it half an hour and check again.

Check out the discord for the occasional peek at chapters and just a fun place to hang out.

And so I don't have issues with posting this, a preview:

 _The final member however, looked rather uncomfortable in the heat. A large baggy jacket, red with various white stripes and black sweats. Combined with a beanie that was pulled down to cover her left eye. The remaining one was a dark steely grey. In the heat of the day, it was obvious she was miserable._

 _"_ _Why is it so dust-forsaken hot here?" May, the beanie wearing one, asked. "If I'd have know, I may have gotten a lighter coat or something."_

 _Blake, the one with cat ears, answered. "Sorry, May. To be honest, it slipped my mind."_

 _"_ _On the bright side," cut in the last of the three, Ruby. "We can go shopping for clothes later. If we're here to get information about the White Fang, it would do to look the part of someone who lives here."_

Looking forward to seeing y'all there. Adieu for now!


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